The Guardian Chronicles: Divulgence
by STLHero
Summary: FemNaru. AU. After the events of her trip to the theme park, Uzumaki Naruto never thought that there would be another secret hidden from her. A secret that would lead her to contemplate everything she had known about her life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I just want to welcome everyone to the rewritten version of Revelations. It would be recommended that the first two books of the series are read before continuing on with this version of the story. For all of you who have read the original revelations, there are some major changes to the original plot as you will see from this chapter.**

* * *

_Why must there be school every day?_

Naruto rubbed her eyes and yawned as her classmates strolled in through the door with large smiles plastered on their faces. The only people who shared the same displeasure as her were Bakugou and Kaminari. Both teens looked so much like zombies with the bags under their eyes and their wide-opened mouths.

It wouldn't surprise her if a fly buzzed right into their mouths.

Letting out another yawn, the blue-eyed girl rested her head over her hands and half-closed her eyes. It would do her no-good if Aizawa-sensei caught her sleeping in class. _You are overworking yourself, Uzumaki!_ The image of a furious Aizawa-sensei brought a small frown over her lips and the blonde slumped her shoulders.

She couldn't even tell Aizawa-sensei that she hadn't been overworking in her part-time job. Her part-time job was her best excuse for her exhaustion. The man would be even more upset if he knew she was overtraining herself. _You should know when to rest._ She could practically hear her teacher nagging those words to her before barking at her to take a break.

God, Naruto wished she could take a break.

Cerulean eyes darted to the windows, focusing on the green trees and the bright blue skies, before looking back at Midoriya and Bakugou. The green-haired boy stared at her for a couple of seconds, flinching before looking away from her. Bakugou simply stared at her, looking at her with such blank eyes that it made her sigh.

Things had never been the same since that day.

"You overdid it again, didn't you?"

Naruto tore her eyes away from Bakugou and blinked at the sight of Shouto taking a seat right beside her, mismatch eyes focused on her hands. Frowning, the blonde looked down at her hands. _Oh._ Light bruises and scratches decorated her arms; a side effect from her senjutsu training.

Next time she should just use a henge to cover up her scratches and bruises because the last thing she wanted was for him to look at her with concern. Even if it tickled her toes and made her smile, Naruto didn't like the idea of her friend having the belief that she always goes too far with her training.

He shouldn't worry about her.

"Nope."

Just because Shouto saw the evidence, didn't mean she had to agree to his accusation.

Her friend pressed his lips into a thin line and leaned his body forward. His mismatch eyes locked onto her, daring her again to lie straight to his face. Naruto grunted and looked away. _Hard for me to lie when he looks too pretty like that._ She placed her cheek over the palm of her hand as mismatch eyes continued to lock on her.

She didn't need to look at him to know he was still concern about her.

"_Yes because even if you carry a monster, you are still Uzumaki Naruto and you are my friend."_

The words echoed in her ear and Naruto felt all the blood rushing to her face. Her heart pounded against her chest, ready to burst as she recalled the gentleness in his eyes. _Why the hell am I reacting like this?_ She chewed on her bottom lip as her blue eyes darted back at Shouto.

Her friend stared at her for a good couple of seconds before looking away from her. Even though Shouto had his head turned away from her, Naruto could still see a light shade of pinkness covering his cheeks. _He looks cute when he blushes like that._ She blinked and chewed on her bottom lip, pushing it back and forth.

Why was she starting to think Shouto was cute when he blushed? It was not like she didn't know Shouto was handsome. Ashido and Hagakure constantly reminded her and the other girls of this fact whenever they were in the locker-room. But those kind of thoughts had never came to her mind before.

_Then again you don't just go around kissing someone without any reason too._

Naruto groaned and slammed her head against the table. Papers and books jumped up as Ashido, Kaminari and even Satou turned around to look at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay, Uzumaki?" Ashido's voice carried hints of concern and Naruto nodded her head. Beside the stabbing pain of her forehead, she was doing great. Her heart pounded against her chest in its normal pace. There was no burning sensation around her body. So in all technicality, her whole body was fine.

Ashido pressed her lips into a frown and darted her eyes between Shouto and her as if wondering something happened between them. Seconds passed before the girl shook her head and turned her whole body around. Only Kaminari and Satou stared at her now. Their eyes not one bit convinced by the lie coming out of her mouth.

If they were going to open their mouth to say something then the opportunity was stolen when the door flung open. Aizawa-sensei stepped through the door, tired eyes scanning through the classroom. His eyes lingered the most on her. More specifically on the red mark that must have decorated her forehead. He raised a single eyebrow.

Naruto just grunted and looked away.

Shaking his head, Aizawa slid behind the podium, placed the papers on it before clearing his throat. The chatter died down as the other students straightened their backs. Their eyes darted everywhere from each other to the ceiling above them before focusing on the tired man before them.

"It is nearly time for summer break to begin," Aizawa leaned his body forward and placed his hands on either side of the podium. "But that doesn't mean you are going to have a break this summer."

Naruto stiffened and tilted her head to the side as her blue eyes darted to her classmates. Most of them looked as stiff as a piece of wood and looked as white as a ghost at those words. Kaminari and Ashido had their mouths wide opened and clasped their hands together as if hoping that a little prayer would save them.

Only Shouto and Bakugou didn't seem fazed one bit by those words, with one boy looking as blank as a piece of paper while the other boy had an ugly scowl decorating his face.

"You look concerned." The blonde jerked her heat at Shouto. Mismatch eyes stared at her with hints of worry as his hand reached out to her as if trying to reassure her. Blue eyes widened when the boy patted her shoulder. "Why are you concerned about this? Did you have any plans for the summer break?"

Naruto sighed. "The only plans I have is to work and train my ass off."

"I don't really understand why you still have your part-time job." Shouto frowned. "Doesn't Jiraiya pay for everything?"

The blonde hunched her shoulders. "He does but I don't want to rely on him when it comes to money. I spent so many years working that it just feels wrong for me to take his money."

Shouto gazed at her for a good couple of minutes, mismatch eyes scanning her own as if he was searching for something. Seconds passed and still her friend made no comment or attempt to look away from him. _His turquoise eye seemed to lean more to the blue side._ She flushed a brighter shade of red and looked away from him.

"D-Does it sound weird?" She kept her eyes focused on Aizawa-sensei, cheeks still burning from the knowledge that she was starting to notice her friend's eye color. "Because you aren't saying anything to me."

"I wouldn't know if it was weird." Shouto looked away from her and cleared his throat. "I have always had someone spending money on me so I wouldn't know if it was strange or not."

"Uzumaki! Todoroki!" Naruto and Shouto jerked their heads as Aizawa scowled at them, not looking one bit pleased at their behaviour. Even though the both of them sat at the back, the blonde could see his vein twitching at the lack of attention shown to them. "Mind telling everyone in the class of what the two of you are talking about?"

Shouto opened his mouth, only to blink when Naruto smacked her hands over his lips. A nervous laugh escaped from Naruto's lips as black eyes stared at them with irritation. "We were just wondering what your words meant."

Aizawa arched a single eyebrow at her while Shouto looked at her like she was insane for lying to their teacher. _I can't tell him that I feel weird about Ero-Sennin spending money on me!_ It would bring a lot of questions. Questions that Naruto had no idea of how to answer without bringing up the fact that Ero-Sennin wasn't really her godfather.

Most of their classmates just stared at them with knowing eyes. Only Bakugou scowled at them, red eyes looking at her like she was a terrible liar. Naruto narrowed her eyes, daring her classmate to call out her lie in public. Bakugou only rolled his eyes, letting out a grunt before throwing a glare at her.

Their teacher only stared at them with lips pressed into a thin line.

"As I was saying," Aizawa cleared his throat and focused his eyes on Naruto. "Instead of resting in your summer break, all of you will be having a training camp in a forest lodge."

_Wait, wouldn't that mean I'm going to spend more time with everyone?_ Blue eyes widened and pink lips parted as the world around her broke into cheers. No. She could not spend time in that forest lodge. If she went into that forest lodge then her strange thoughts about Shouto was not going to stop. This weird feeling in her stomach might not go away.

"You look like that this might be your worst nightmare."

Naruto swirled her head at Shouto, blue eyes widening at her friend. Those mismatch eyes fixated on her fists and his mismatch eyebrows knitted together like he couldn't understand her reaction. She couldn't tell him. _I'm not happy because I think this weird flutter in my stomach isn't going to go away if we go there._ Yeah, she better keep her mouth shut.

Things between them was nice as it was and telling him about this strange feeling might make things worse for them.

"It is going to be fun!" Ashido declared, twisting her whole body around to look at them. "We can give each other _dares_ during the summer break and gossip about everything!"

_Why do I feel like this might become a nightmare for me?_ Her stomach rolled and flipped as golden eyes locked onto her. Those golden eyes glinted with mischief. _She has a plan._ Naruto chewed on her bottom lip, blue eyes focusing on her beaming classmate. Ashido had to be up to something if she put so much emphasis on the word dares.

Her stomach only rolled and turned as Naruto chewed on her bottom lip.

"Oh before I dismiss all of you, I want to see Uzumaki during break time." Naruto frowned as Aizawa focused his eyes on her. The blonde pressed her lips into a thin line, uncertain of where this was going to go. From right beside her, Shouto frowned and stared at her with concern.

She offered him a tiny smile before looking at the window, where Aizawa-sensei walked passed without even glancing at them.

What on Earth could her teacher want to talk to her about?

* * *

"Aizawa-sensei, you wanted to see me?"

Naruto chewed on her bottom lip as Aizawa-sensei looked over a couple of files. To the left of her teacher's table was Present Mic, who had his attention on the computer screen. From across the room was Midnight-sensei, who put down her cup of coffee to stare at her with curious eyes. Naruto smiled even wider before darting her eyes back to her homeroom teacher.

Aizawa let out a sigh and closed his files before putting them on the table. He turned his chair around until his whole body faced her and the blond-haired girl frowned at the sight before her. Like always, her teacher had his usual dark circles but it looked darker than usual. _He looks even upset._ Her teacher might not be a happy person but his eyes always held some glint of emotion.

Right now, his eyes looked so blank that it made her do a double-takeback.

"I have a personal request for you," Naruto blinked and Aizawa took a deep breath but no words came out of his mouth. The blue-eyed girl frowned. A personal request? What on Earth could he ask of her? She knitted her eyebrows as the black-haired man shifted his eyes to Midnight.

The female teacher just frowned and looked away, shaking her head at the man.

"Aizawa-sensei, what do you want me to do?"

"I need you to babysit Eri tomorrow night while I'm out." The underground hero took a deep breath and clasped his hands together as he darted his eyes to Present Mic and Midnight. "I believe you are responsible enough to know that you don't give a six-year-old chocolate in the middle of the night."

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry Aizawa-sensei, I will be the best babysitter for Eri-chan!"

Aizawa stared at her for a good couple of seconds before letting out a little snort. Naruto blinked and tilted her head, eyebrows knitted together at the sight of her teacher nearly laughing at her words. Were her words funny? She glanced at Present Mic and Midnight-sensei, who could only blink their eyes at the sight before them.

Good to know she was not the only one in shock.

"I know you will be a great babysitter for her or I wouldn't pick you for the job." Aizawa shook his head and ruffled her hair before throwing a glare at his colleges, who were still staring at them. Naruto couldn't blame them. This was the first time her teacher ruffled her hair like this and he did it in public too.

Naruto grinned and offered a small bow before clicking her heels together. She twirled her body around, only to pause when Aizawa cleared his throat. Twisting her head around, Naruto raised her eyebrow at her teacher. The black-haired man stared at her for a good couple of seconds as if he was searching for something in her eyes.

"Naruto, is everything alright between Midoriya, Bakugou and you?"

The blonde blinked and gulped down a lump in her throat. Of course he would notice something was wrong between them. In the last few weeks, Midoriya had been avoiding her like the plague. Bakugou's glares towards her seemed to have intensified to the point that it wouldn't surprise her if she could burst into flames from his glares. _I can't even blame them._ She let out a small sigh and allowed herself to frown.

Between the three boys, only Shouto treated her like she was the same old Naruto. But then again Shouto had always been understanding towards her and knew before the other two boys about her chakra and previous job.

"Everything is fine between the three of us," Naruto focused her eyes on Aizawa's face. If she looked away then he would know she was lying straight to his face. He would demand to know what happened between them and Naruto couldn't tell him. _Things would get better after some time._ She forced herself to smile even wider.

She just need to wait for Midoriya and Bakugou to process what she told them.

Aizawa eyed her. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Naruto closed her eyes and smiled even wider. Taking in a deep breath, the blonde opened her eyes and stared at her teacher. The black-haired man stroke his stubble, raising his eyebrows at her. The blonde kept the smile on her face and her teacher shook his head but did not say anything to convince her to tell him about the problem.

She couldn't tell him even if she wanted to tell him.

"I hope the three of you can fix whatever issues you are having," Aizawa said, shaking his head. Naruto blinked and blinked as her teacher turned his chair away from her. "It would be troublesome if there is chaos in the classroom because of an issue that could be easily fixed."

_But it is an issue that I cannot fix._ The words were on the tip of her tongue but Naruto swallowed it down. Aizawa-sensei could never know what happened to her during the amusement park. Even if he wanted them to fix things up, Naruto could only do it when her classmates had enough time to process what happened.

She wasn't certain if those two could accept her for what she contained.

"Everything is going to be fine between us, Aizawa-sensei." She kept her tone light and cheerful as she made her way towards the door. "So you don't need to worry about the three of us."

Bakugou and Midoriya just needed time to process everything.

* * *

"Move it, Uzumaki!"

Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line at the sight of Bakugou stomping over towards her, red eyes gleaming with annoyance and rage. _He is still upset with me._ Not once in her time in Yuuei or even Middle School had Bakugou ever called her by her last name. Whiskers had always been her nickname for him even when he was furious with her.

She took in a deep breath and took a step to the right, freeing the so-called path that she blocked for Bakugou. Naruto only stared at her classmate. No matter how hard she stared at Bakugou, he would never really meet her eyes. Was he really that furious with her for keeping that aspect of her life a secret? It wasn't like she meant to keep it a secret.

There was never really a point for her to mention it if she thought about it.

"He is still upset with you, isn't he?" Naruto blinked and twisted her head around, blue eyes widening at the sight of Shouto standing before her. His mismatch eyes darted from her to the fading figure that was Bakugou before going back to her. He pressed his lips into a thin line. "It has already been a month since it happened."

Naruto sighed. "Is it really a big deal?"

Shouto gazed down at her with such blank eyes that it made Naruto knit her eyebrows together. Why was he looking at her with that kind of expression? She chewed on her bottom lip and placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping it would be enough to wipe that blankness from his eyes. The mismatch boy blinked and stared at her for just a little bit longer before looking away from her.

That was just strange.

"It is different for everyone." Shouto took in a deep breath and looked back at her. "I accepted it because I know you've your reasons for keeping it a secret, but Midoriya and Bakugou don't see things the way I do."

The blonde slumped her shoulders. "With the way they keep acting towards me, I really think I should have tried to make up a lie for them."

"Why?"

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean why? They are acting like I betrayed them in some major way! This was the kind of reaction that I was afraid was going to happen if anyone knew the truth about me."

The mismatch boy looked down at her with mismatch eyes that shone with so much understanding that it made her pause. Why was he looking at her like that? She felt her cheeks burning up as the younger boy continued to look down at her. _He is going to make so many girls fall in love with him if he keeps up with his stares._ She curled her lips into a scowl and looked away.

The idea shouldn't annoy her but she had a strong desire to throttle someone.

"Naruto, you don't exactly open up to people." Shouto cleared his throat and looked at Bakugou's disappearing figure. "But out of everyone in the class, you are probably more close to those two and to hear the truth…wasn't that be a sign of betrayal? Like you never trusted them."

The blonde chewed on her bottom lip as her friend looked down at her. Was she really that close to them? There was no denying she felt comfortable around them more than the girls. But then again girls were just so much more complicated. Like Ashido. Her classmate had a crush on Shouto but didn't seem to hate her for being close to the boy.

What kind of girl just accepted another female being close to their crush without causing any trouble?

She let out a sigh and darted her eyes at him. "In that case, why do you act like nothing happened? Why do you still treat me the same when I told you the truth?"

Did he also feel betrayed when she told him about her Chakra? Or about the Kyuubi? Her head ached at the idea as Shouto tilted his head at her. She straightened her shoulders as silence continued to hang around them. What was the difference between the three of them? Why was Shouto so calm even when she told him the truth? It just didn't make sense.

Shouto sighed and cleared his throat. "Because that man explained it, didn't he? You didn't have it easy growing up…so it make sense for you to be just a little bit cautious around people, isn't it?"

_If that is the case then why aren't you looking me in the eye?_ Naruto eyed her friend, who had a sudden interest in looking at the walls instead of her eyes. There was more to it or maybe she wanted another answer from him. But what did she want him to tell her? She chewed on her bottom lip and let out a sigh, realizing that there was no answer to that question.

It didn't matter, did it?

He was by her side and that was what really mattered.

"I'm not a little bit cautious, Shouto." She took in a deep breath and gazed up at the ceiling. "If I was just a little bit cautious then I wouldn't have to go through therapy. Aizawa-sensei knew that I took my caution to the extreme levels and I don't know if I can just blame the adults in my life."

Her friend only bobbed his head. "Look Naruto, you can't place all the blame on them but no one can deny that they are one of the reasons why you can't trust people."

_I guess this is why I know you are the only one that understands me._ Naruto curled her lips into a smile before linking her arm around Shouto, who flushed a light shade of pink. She smiled even wider as a chuckle escape from her lips. She knew she should be a bit more cautious with her behaviour. Just a little bit more discreet. Because Shouto was liked by a lot of girls in their year but Naruto couldn't bring herself to care about rumors or hurtful little girls.

As long as she had Shouto, things were always going to be fine for her.

"Y'know I wouldn't be this calm or happy if it wasn't for you, Shouto." Her friend blinked and jerked his head down, mismatch eyes widening at her words. She smiled even wider when the boy raised his eyebrow. "You are the only person that treats me the same even after learning the truth about me."

Her friend stopped walking and Naruto frowned. She tilted her head as he stared down at her with blank eyes. Did she say something wrong? Blond eyebrows knitted together as her mind tried to figure out if her statement had been weird in any way or form. _If Shouto say the same exact words to me, I wouldn't react like this._ She frowned.

Maybe Shouto was being a weirdo again.

Blue eyes widened when the younger boy dropped his hand over her head. Chewing on her bottom lip, Naruto could only gaze at the boy who she considered to be her first friend in school. In all the months she had come to know about him, not once had she seen his eyes shone with so many emotions.

Emotions that she couldn't exactly read.

"I'm always going to stick by your side, Naruto." The gentleness in his words alongside the strange emotions in his eyes made Naruto look away from him. She could feel her throat tightening up as tears threatened to come out of her like a waterfall. This shouldn't make her emotional. He was just being kind.

This was nothing new.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto held up her pinky. "Wanna make that a promise, Shouto?"

He stared at her for a good couple of seconds before wrapping his pinky around her. When Naruto thought about it, it was probably childish of her to make a pinky promise. What kind of 15-year-old would do this? But Shouto didn't seem to be blushing or complaining about her behavior.

Maybe not everyone was like what she thought.

"You can always trust me, Naruto."

The funny thing was that she believed those words without a single doubt in her mind.

**A/N: Do leave a review of your thoughts of the rewritten chapter if you feel like it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter as well as everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows. I would like to state from now that Revelations won't have the I-Island Arc but will contain Camp Training Arc alongside the Exam Arc. **

* * *

October 10th was a terrible day if anyone asked Naruto. It was not just because the villagers looked at her with even colder eyes or the fact that the Kyuubi killed her parents. But at the age of seven, Naruto hoped this birthday would be different. It was supposed to be different because she was going to spend her birthday with Sasuke and his family.

They were supposed to play all the games she wanted to play but that didn't exactly happen. For one, Sasuke refused to let her play hide and seek in his compound, saying that she was going to get into trouble if she played the game. If you asked her, Naruto believed Sasuke just didn't want to lose to her.

_But I'm going to get him to play that game even if I have to go to Mikoto-obaachan._ Naruto curled her lips into a bright smile as she walked through the corridor that would lead to Mikoto's room. If anyone could get that meanie to listen to her birthday wish then it had to be Mikoto.

Mikoto-obaachan always know how to make Sasuke listen.

"_Y-You would have been proud to see how much she has grown."_ Naruto knitted her eyebrows and tilted her head as loud sobs came from behind one of the doors. For a brief moment, she just stood there. What did she do? Not once in her life had she ever heard someone cry so loudly. Not just anyone either.

She knew from the voice that it was Mikoto-obaachan.

_I should cheer her up, right? She always listens to me and cheer me up when the Meanie is acting mean to me._ Naruto bobbed her head and walked closer to the door. Taking in a deep breath, the little girl slid the door open and allowed herself to take in the cool autumn breeze that tickled her cheeks.

Naruto exhaled and began to tiptoe into the room, avoiding anything that would allow Mikoto to know she was inside her bedroom. Her blue eyes scanned the room. There weren't many photos in the bedroom except for some family photos and wedding photos. But other than that, the room was pretty much bare.

Not that she was surprised, Naruto doubt Fugaku allowed Mikoto-obaachan to decorate the room as she liked.

"_Mikoto-obaachan! Are you okay?"_ Naruto guessed this was the best question to ask Mikoto-obaachan, but judging from the way the older woman turned around and scambled to slid a frame under the bed…she guessed it wasn't the right question. _What should I have asked instead?_ She was kind of new to the whole comforting thing but she could try for the older woman.

Mikoto-obaachan always listened to her complain so she had to do the same for Mikoto-obaachan.

"_Everything is okay, Naru-chan! I'm just crying because today is your birthday and I'm just so happy for you!"_ Fake cheerfulness coated the woman's voice as Mikoto offered her a large smile. Naruto could only stare with a frown. Why was she lying to her? If the woman was so happy about her birthday then why did her eyes screamed of pain and loss? She wasn't happy.

No one was really ever happy on her birthday.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Naruto took a seat right beside Mikoto. "_Mikoto-obaachan, can't you tell me the truth? I'm not stupid. Your eyes doesn't say you are happy about my birthday."_

Unlike most of the adults in her life, she didn't have a problem with allowing her mask to drop with the kind woman, who always treated her with a warmth that Naruto could only guess a mother could give.

Mikoto-obaachan stared at her for a long time, dark eyes flashing with conflict as if whether to tell her the truth or not. That wasn't the only thing Naruto could see from her eyes. The hunched shoulders alongside the trembling lips told her that the pretty woman was in pain. _Maybe I should have acted dumb for this one time._ She hunched her shoulders.

"_Today is also the day that my teammate and best friend died,"_ Mikoto looked straight at the wall before flickering her eyes at her. Those black eyes focused on her blue eyes but Naruto didn't really feel like Mikoto-obaachan was really seeing her. With the way her eyes seemed a little bit dull out, she guess the old woman was seeing something else. "_I loved my teammate, Naru-chan."_

"_Love?"_ Naruto tilted her head and knitted her eyebrows together. Love. She knew what that word meant. It was a word Mikoto-obaachan used with her, Sasuke and Itachi but there was something in Mikoto's tone that made it seem like the word now was different. Maybe it was a different word now.

She doesn't really understand what love meant.

"_When I was around your age, my teammate transferred into the Academy and I fell in love with him at first sight."_ Mikoto let out a sigh and placed her hand on top of Naruto's head. "_I used to watch him whenever I had the chance, even though I knew nothing could come out between us. My marriage to Fugaku had already been arranged but I always toyed with the idea of breaking tradition and marry him."_

Naruto nodded her head and forced herself to smile. She didn't really understand what Mikoto-obaachan was telling her but if it helped the woman then she could pretend to understand. Maybe if she just smiled and listened then the woman would stop crying and be happy. She liked it when Mikoto-obaachan smiled and laughed.

Whenever Mikoto-obaachan did those things, the coldness in her body always seemed to fade away and Naruto wanted that coldness to go away.

"_But why didn't you marry him?" _Naruto asked, scratching her head.

Mikoto dropped her hand from Naruto's head and looked down at her with such sad eyes. _I guess I shouldn't have ask that question._ She bowed her head and dropped her shoulders. Maybe Hinata-chan should be here instead. Her friend always knew what to say to cheer people up while all she knew was to hurt them.

"_He fell in love with my best friend." _Mikoto whispered and Naruto swirled her head. _Didn't her best-friend know about her feelings?_ The question was on the tip of her tongue but the smile on Mikoto's face made her falter. Why was she smiling? If it was her, she would be cursing and swearing at the so-called friend that fell in love with her crush.

Actually Naruto wanted to swear at the man that let Mikoto-obaachan go.

_He must have been stupid._

"_Didn't you tell your best friend that you were in love with him?"_ Naruto frowned. "_And did you ever tell him you liked him? He might have chosen you if you told him about your feelings! You must have been way prettier than your best-friend! No one is more prettier than you, Mikoto-obaachan!"_

Mikoto-obaachan let out a little laugh and Naruto blinked when the older woman flicked her finger against her forehead. _What is so funny?_ The blond-haired girl rubbed her forehead as a small scowl began to form around her lips. Her shoulders bristled and the blonde jerked her head at the older woman, only to pause at the bright smile playing on Sasuke's mother face.

"_My best friend was pretty,"_ Mikoto smiled and her eyes lingered on Naruto's whisker marks. "_She was also very kind. When all the other girls in my year thought I was stuck-up, my best friend would defend me. I knew if my teammate loved me back, my best friend would have back-off for my sake but I'm not selfish enough to do that to them. Besides, there was some good that came out of their love."_

The little girl frowned. "_What good came out of their love? Their love hurt you!"_

"_I will answer that question when you are older, Naru-chan!"_

That day never came and seeing the way Mikoto-obaachan cry her heart out for the loss of her teammate and best-friend put things into perspective for Naruto. She doesn't understand the love between two people and how it could hurt someone. She doesn't want to fully understand it, not if someone was going to get hurt in the end.

_So when Eri ask her why she never been in love, Naruto tells her only one part of the truth._

_She will never admit that the idea of love also terrified her because of how it could hurt someone._

* * *

"Naru-chan!"

Naruto blinked and jerked her head as a pair of hands wrapped around her body. With the girlish scream of her name alongside the familiar scent of strawberry perfume, the blonde didn't need to turn around to know who tackled her. Only one person in Japan called her by that name.

"Hadou-senpai, you don't need to scream out my name."

Nejire loosened her hold over her, allowing the blond-haired girl to inhale a couple of breaths. Naruto didn't need to turn around to know what expression Nejire had. She knew from the lack of answer that Nejire was probably pouting at her use of Hadou-senpai. _She always wants me to call her, Nejire-chan._ Naruto sighed.

"I will probably stop doing that if you call me, Nejire-chan!" Nejire pouted. Naruto curled her lips into a smile and turned her whole body around to look at the older girl. The blue-haired girl puffed her cheeks and had her arms folded over her chest as several people stopped to glance at them.

Naruto just gestured for them to move along before looking back at the pouting girl. "Okay, Nejire."

"One of these days, I will get you to call me Nejire-chan again!" Nejire declared, waving a single finger at her. If her friend was trying to make herself look scary then the puffing of her cheeks alongside the twitching lips failed to make her shudder. It only made her want to laugh and shake her head at her.

Bobbing her head, Naruto looked to the bright green leaves of the tree. "Whatever you say, Nejire."

Nejire curled her lips into a pout and the blond-haired girl offered her a bright smile before looking back at the bright green leaves of the tree. Despite the lushness of the leaves, it did not have the same greenness of the leaves in Konoha. Just a little bit duller if you asked her. But the flowers surrounding the trees had colours that were so much brighter than the ones in her home.

If she wasn't still exiled, Naruto would probably snatch one of the flowers and bring it to Konoha, where she could lay it on top of Mikoto-obaachan's grave.

"You seem distracted lately, Naru-chan." Nejire commented, leaning closer to her. "Did something happen lately?"

Naruto paused and stared at blue eyes that shone with so much concern. It would be another couple of weeks before the anniversary of the Uchiha Massacre. But unlike Middle School, she couldn't make clones and skip out of class to mourn over the death of the woman who showed her warmth. This time around, she would be in camp with her classmates.

But she couldn't tell Nejire this.

"Nothing happened." She answered, clasping her hands together and looking away from the trees. Naruto offered a small smile to Nejire, only to have the older girl frown at her. She waited for the girl to call her out for her blatant lie, but Nejire only offered her a sad smile as if knowing she wasn't ready to talk about her problems.

Knowing Nejire, the girl must have known that she still wasn't ready to talk about her problems to her.

"Y'know when I'm upset about something, I will go to the mall and shop for some cute clothes!" Nejire declared with a larger smile playing on her lips. Blue eyes twinkled with mischief and Naruto felt the ramen inside of her stomach roll over at her cheerful words. "Since you are upset about something, I'm going to take you out today to do some shopping!"

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck, looking away from the twinkling stars that were Nejire's eyes. Was this her price for lying to Nejire-chan? To go into the warzone that was the mall?

"I'm not free today." Naruto admitted, looking back at Nejire. The blue-haired girl blinked and pouted, looking almost ready to wail at her words but she doubt the girl would do that. The older girl might act adorable and childish at times but she wasn't that type of person. "You should have told me earlier! You don't invite someone in the last minute, Nejire!"

"Why not?" Nejire tilted her head. "This is probably the last month before the exam season will start and when the exams come closer, you will have no time for poor little Nejire-chan!"

Naruto spluttered as several students stopped in their tracks, swirling their heads around to look at them. Judgment and amusement shone through their eyes and smiles decorated their lips. It wasn't long before giggles echoed throughout the air, only making the blonde flush a bright shade of red at the attention being thrown at their direction. _I'm going to die from embarrassment._ She covered her face with her hands.

"Can you please not act this way, Nejire?" She grumbled, throwing a glare at the staring students before swirling her head at her senior. "And anyways you should have warned me because I've plans for tonight."

Nejire blinked and tilted her head. Silence hung over them as blue eyes searched her as if trying to see whether or not she was lying about her plans. Naruto bristled. Why would she lie about her plans? She promised Nejire to learn how to love herself and lying wasn't going to help her at all. She offered a scowl, only to blink at the teasing glint in Nejire's eyes.

Dread crept up into Naruto's stomach.

"Really now?" Nejire giggled. "And who are you hanging out with, Naru-chan? Are you and Todoroki-san going out to a restaurant?"

Naruto flushed a bright shade of red, earning a louder laugh from Nejire. This only made the younger girl scowl. What was so funny? Anyone would be embarrassed by the question especially with that knowing glint that still clung to her eyes. _She acts like she knows my relationship with Shouto._ She bristled.

"What makes you think I'm going out with Shouto?" She folded her arms against her chest and looked away from Nejire's knowing eyes. She growled. "Why are you giving me that look Nejire? There is nothing going on between Shouto and me! We aren't joined to the hip!"

Nejire hummed, not looking one bit convinced by her words, and Naruto glowered. Why did Nejire-chan not look one bit convince by her words? She might have kiss Shouto, even liked it but it didn't mean there was something brewing between them. They still acted like ordinary friends. Nothing changed between them but Nejire kept looking at them like they were characters from her favorite novel.

"I know you have other friends," The older girl patted Naruto's head and giggled. "But I know for a fact Itsuka-chan and Setsuna-chan are busy with their clubs, so the only friend left is Todoroki." Blue eyes glinted with mischief. "Now what is this about there being something between you two?"

_I walked right into that trap, didn't I?_

Flushing a bright shade of red, Naruto shook her head. "There is nothing going on between us!"

"Really now?" Surprise coated Nejire's voice and Naruto frowned. Those words alongside the burning curiosity in her friend's eyes were like bombs to her heart. Why was she so surprised? Shouto and her were only good friends. If anyone could understand the possibility that a girl and a boy could be friends then it would be Nejire-chan.

She was friends with Mirio after all.

"Yes, really."

"Poor Shouto." Nejire muttered, shaking her head.

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean poor Shouto?"

Nejire pressed her lips into a thin line but made no comment, only shaking her head and letting out a little girl. If it had been anyone else giggling, it would have felt mocking like they knew something that they did not. But the way Nejire giggled alongside the sadness in her eyes made the giggles more soft-hearted, like the laugh of a sad child. It was still irritating if you asked Naruto but not like before.

"I just realize Shouto had something in common with Tamaki," Nejire explained with a smile playing on her lips.

_Something in common?_ Naruto knitted her eyebrows into one thin line. Was there something she was missing? Was this some kind of riddle? Either way she would never know unless Nejire just spat the words out to her. _But I doubt she will do it._ From the way those eyes glinted, she doubt the girl was going to give her an answer right away.

"Well if you aren't free now then we will just go shopping tomorrow, Naru-chan!" Nejire declared and Naruto jerked her head. She opened her mouth to protest, only for the blue-haired girl to put her fingers on either side of her head. "I'm not going to listen to any excuses! We are going shopping tomorrow!"

Naruto slumped her shoulders.

It didn't seem like Nejire-chan was going to listen to her today.

_At least I'll have some peace at home._

* * *

_Ero-Sennin is back._

Those large black shoes scattered on the hallway, laying carelessly on the ground could only belong to Jiraiya. With her smaller feet and the fact she preferred to wear sneakers in this part of the world, Naruto knew without a doubt that those large black sandles could only belong to her teacher. Beside, she kept her shoes lined up in a line while Ero-Sennin always left his shoes lying around.

Naruto shook her head and stared at the hallway, shoulders trembling as the news report blared up from the living room. Should she smile? Or should she scowl and be angry for Ero-Sennin leaving her alone like this? She wasn't certain. How do people react when a roommate came back? She curled her lips into a frown.

It didn't matter when she thought about it.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto placed her school bag in the corner of the hallway and exhaled. The trembles in her shoulder stopped and the young girl straightened her back. With another quick inhale, she strolled into the living room with her heart pounding against her ribs like it was ready to burst out of her chest.

The living room was a mess with her precious cup ramen noodle cups scattered around the coffee table. Various newspapers from the last couple of weeks spread around the floor. And the culprit? He was sitting on the couch, pen in hand and eyebrows knitted together like he was deep in thought. _If he has time to focus on the news, clean the damn mess!_ She growled and Jiraiya looked away from the television screen.

No smile decorated his face and Naruto felt a coldness creeping up her shoulders with the way her mentor stared at her with blank eyes. She hunched her shoulders, almost feeling like the same little girl that would hide from the Matron whenever she was in one of her bad moods. There was only one time Jiraiya looked like this and that had been with Tsunade.

Dear god, what did she do?

"Hibiki informed me about Kumo approaching you with the offer of abandoning Konoha and taking up with their village," Naruto froze and Jiraiya leaned his body forward. Black eyes fixated on her. "But what really tickled my interest was you telling your friends of what we do for a living."

The coldness in his voice alongside the blankness of his black eyes made it feel like he had thrown a bucket of cold water over her. She couldn't straighten her shoulders, only tremble at the anger. She balled her hands into a fist. Was he going to punish her for her actions? Didn't Hibiki tell him she had no choice? And it wasn't like she agreed to go to Kumo? She was still loyal to the village.

The village that shun her for something she couldn't control.

"Those Kumo nin were being reckless when they approached you," Jiraiya commented and Naruto blinked. The black eyes of her teacher shone with anger but not the same kind of anger she used to associate with the Matron. "But you should have been careful when they approached you. You know people can overhear things so why didn't you tell them to go somewhere more private?"

The accusation in his tone acted like kunai to her heart. How was she suppose to tell them? That bastard threatened to make a scene if she didn't follow him. If anyone should be scolded for the reckless behaviour, it should be those nin. Her heart throbbed as Jiraiya continued to stare at her with his feet tapping the ground like a timer.

"He threatened to make a scene out there if I didn't follow him."

Jiraiya paused and stopped tapping his feet, relaxing his arms against the sides of his chest. He looked at her for a good ten seconds before letting out a little sigh. He pushed himself off of the couch, making his way over to where she stood right beside the kitchen counter and stared down at her.

"I can understand to that point but why did you decide to tell them the truth?" Jiraiya put his hands on her shoulder and narrowed his eyes at her. "Naruto, what you told them can be considered reckless and dangerous for Konoha. How can we be certain those three boys aren't going to tell anyone the truth about what we are? Of what you are?"

Naruto hunched her shoulders and looked away from his black eyes. How could she be certain? She thought Bakugou and Midoriya would accept her after knowing the truth but they still treat her like a stranger. But what else could she have done? Kill them? Her heart would withered away the moment she tried to kill the people who became the closest thing to her friends in this part of the world.

"Naruto?"

"No one will believe them." Naruto said, straightening her back. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down the remaining tremors that were making their way through her body. "They will call them crazy anyway if they don't have proof."

Jiraiya pinched his nose. "And what if someone believe them? What happens then? It is bad enough we have to worry about Orochimaru and the Akatsuki but if Japan and the other countries find out…"

_We won't survive an attack from three forces._

The words weren't said but Naruto could connect the dots. She closed her eyes, hunched her shoulders, and dared not to look at her mentor's eyes. The disappointment that kept rolling out of his words was enough for her to bow her head and not listen to what he had to say next. If anything happen to Konoha, it would be her fault.

He didn't need to tell her this.

"I'm going to keep an eye on Midoriya and Todoroki, Naruto." Jiraiya said and Naruto swirled her head. She raised an eyebrow and the white-haired man rubbed his chin. He grimaced. "Hibiki already offered to watch Bakugou and kill him if he mentioned what he learnt about you to anyone."

Naruto narrowed her eyes. "And will you kill Midoriya and Shouto if they mention what I am?"

"You know the laws, Naruto."

Coldness crept up to her fingers, nipping her in the bone as black eyes stared blankly at her. _He will kill them if it means Konoha will be protected._ The knowledge numbed her, almost made her stumble in her spot but Naruto steadied herself. This should not be a surprise to her. Ero-Sennin threatened to kill Tsunade if she betrayed the village and he loved her.

It was only natural he would react like this.

"So where have you been, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked, plastering on a large smile. Jiraiya eyed her but made no comment about her change of topic. He only dusted the dirt off of her shirt before walking back to the couch. He slouched against the seat and laid his feet on top of her coffee table.

Jiraiya sighed. "It's classified information, Naruto."

Those words echoed inside of her ears as Naruto stared at him. She pressed her lips together, wiggled her fingers as black eyes avoided looking at her. He might not be able to tell her where he had been but Naruto knew who that classified information was on. She closed her eyes as a young Sasuke flashed before her eyes.

"You were looking for information on Orochimaru, weren't you?" She whispered. "Did you find anything out?"

Jiraiya grimaced. "I found out a lot of things about my former teammate. If my source is correct Naruto, Orochimaru might be working with one of these so-called villains. I already informed Tsunade about this and we will have Jounins coming here to vertify the information but—"

That wasn't important to her.

"What about Sasuke?"

_Has Orochimaru changed his mind and decided to take over Sasuke's body now? _

"He is still alive."

That was good enough for her to go through babysitting Eri-chan with a smile on her face.

* * *

"Naruto-neechan, what does love mean?"

Naruto blinked and jerked her head away from the cat puzzle to look at Eri. A small frown decorated the white-haired girl's face as her red eyes flashed with curiosity, looking like a curious little kitten with her tilted head. If it weren't for the sudden question, the blonde would have taken out her phone and snap a photo.

Frowning, Naruto asked. "What do you mean?"

Eri chewed on her bottom lip, pushing it back and forth as her red eyes focused on the puzzle. The white-haired girl reached across to the nearly completed puzzle, dropping it on the missing piece before looking back at her. Red eyes flashed with even more uncertainity and Naruto offered her a smile, hoping it would be enough to encourage her to explain the sudden question.

"People say I love you a lot but I don't really understand what it means." Eri admitted, dropping her head. "I don't really understand what you mean when you say you love me."

_That I can explain._ Naruto curled her lips into a smile and laid her hand on top of Eri's hair. She combed through the tangles of the girl's hair, humming a small tune as her mind tried to explain what her words meant. Only her hums echoed throughout the living room as Eri looked at her with bright, curious eyes.

"When I tell you that I love you, it means I will go through hell and back for you." Naruto finally answered, flicking her finger against Eri's forehead. The little girl let out a little giggle and rubbed her forehead, beaming at her words. For a brief moment, she saw her younger self watching Itachi and Sasuke playing together and Naruto shook her head.

Her relationship with Eri was so different from their relationship.

_I will protect Eri with my life._

"Then what does it mean when someone says that they are in love with someone?" Eri asked, red eyes growing large and hopeful and Naruto paused. How did she go about answering that question? This wasn't her area of expertise. Nejire-chan would have been a better person to ask, not her. Her friend was in love with Tamaki and Naruto could recognize it but she didn't understand it.

She could only knit her eyebrows whenever someone talked about being in love with someone.

Shaking her head, Naruto grinned. "It just means that they love someone, I guess."

Eri nodded and the blonde relaxed her shoulders. From the way Eri was looking back at the television, Naruto guessed the girl wanted to watch some television. That was fine with her. As long as the little girl stopped asking all of those embarrassing questions, she would be willing to let Eri watch whatever movie she wanted. Even if Aizawa-sensei ordered her not to let Eri-chan watch anymore singing cartoon movies.

"Then what is the difference between the love of friends and the love between two married people?" Eri asked, knitting her eyebrows together.

Naruto slumped her shoulders and pulled the little girl towards her. Eri giggled, dropping down to the ground right in front of Naruto, and the blonde hugged the little girl. Pressing her nose against the girl's head, Naruto inhaled and exhaled as her mind tried to understand why Eri was beginning to ask those question. A few weeks ago, Eri hadn't been this curious about the topic.

"Eri-chan, why do you want to know so badly?" Naruto asked, tickling the little girl's stomach. "Did something happen? Did some little brat confess their love to you?"

Eri giggled. "Of course not! But I just wanna to know what love is, Naruto-neechan!"

"I don't know." Naruto finally answered, closing her eyes. _When I was around your age, I fell in love with my teammate at first sight._ Mournful black eyes flashed before her eyes and Naruto hunched her shoulders. When Mikoto-obaachan told her those words, she didn't understand it. It had been understandable at seven but even now at fifteen, Naruto still didn't understand those words.

How could Mikoto-obaachan fall in love at first sight?

"Naruto-neechan, why don't you know?"

_He fell in love with my best friend._ Even now, Naruto could still see the sadness in those black eyes alongside the hurt in her voice. In the year and half she knew of Mikoto-obaachan, not once had she ever seen the woman look so broken and sad. No. That wasn't true. Mikoto had been so sad when they first met but she still smiled.

She didn't want that crippling sadness for herself.

"Because I've never been in love before." Naruto answered, ruffling Eri's hair.

Eri bobbed her head, curled her lips into a frown and then tilted her head to the side like she was in deep thought. Letting out a little laugh, Naruto allowed her hands to wander into her pants pocket, ready to take a photo of the scene. With the way the little girl acted, Naruto was almost reminded of Aizawa-sensei and his mannerism.

She really did look like Aizawa in that moment.

"Why haven't you fallen in love?" Eri asked, bouncing in her spot. "Naruto-neechan, you are so pretty that you must have so many men declaring that they love you! Why haven't you fallen in love with someone?"

Naruto chuckled and tapped her fingers against Eri's forehead. The little girl pouted, rubbing her forehead and Naruto offered her a bright smile. Whenever Eri-chan talked like that, she would almost believe in her words. Maybe to Eri-chan, she was the most prettiest girl in the world because she saved her from that terrible place but looks weren't a factor when it came to love.

But she couldn't tell that to Eri.

"Y'know your Naruto-neechan can face gangsters, samurais and even aliens with a smile but give me a man that loves me and I am going to be scared." Naruto declared, ruffling her hair.

Eri stared at her with wide eyes and Naruto closed her eyes.

Love was terrifying because it could even make someone like Mikoto-obaachan cry like a little baby. The love between friends were pure and could never bring that much suffering, but the love between two people could cripple someone. _Love can cause suffering._ Naruto grimaced.

She didn't want to suffer through that kind of love.

* * *

**A/N: I just want to thank everyone who read the chapter. Please let me know of your thoughts about this chapter and if you have any suggestions of how to improve the plot or any questions about the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"Something seems to be bothering you, Naruto."

Naruto jerked her head away from her notebook and swirled her head to look at Todoroki. Her friend had his eyebrows stitched together into one thin line, looking so concerned for her that it made her smile. Of course he would notice something wasn't right. He always seemed to know when something troubled her, whether it was Ero-Sennin or even her workplace.

_Y'know I still don't understand why he is concerned for me even when we have other things to worry about._ Naruto knew from her calendar that it would be another three weeks before exams would start. Most people would be more concern about their exams, not about her and her problems.

But then again Shouto had always been different.

"I was just thinking about what Eri-chan asked me." Naruto flashed her friend a smile and knitted her eyebrows together when Shouto looked away from her. She could see his ears turning red, reminding her of the cherries that she loved to eat. It was kind of cute when Naruto thought about it.

It wasn't like him to blush.

"What did she ask you?" Shouto finally asked, still not looking her in the eye. The slight shakiness of his voice made Naruto raise her eyebrows. Why was her friend reacting like this? Was he sick? But if he was sick then Fuyumi would have forced him to stay home. _But maybe he got sick now?_ No, that wouldn't make sense.

He was just fine a minute ago.

"She asked me if I have ever fallen in love before?" Naruto answered. She raised a single eyebrow when Shouto swirled his head at her, mismatch eyes staring at her with a frenzy that wasn't like him. _Maybe he is just upset that a little kid would ask a question like that now._ She nodded. That would make a lot of sense.

"And have you ever fallen in love?"

Naruto blinked and knitted her eyebrows together as her blue eyes rested on her friend. Shouto focused his eyes on the blackboard, not bothering to spare a glance at her and looked so stone-faced that it made her knit her eyebrows together. Why did he sound upset? And why could she sense a wave irritation leaking out of him? She nibbled her bottom lip.

Something was just not adding up if you asked her.

"I'm only 15," Naruto answered, looking up at the ceiling. She darted her eyes at Shouto and frowned at the sight of her friend hunching her shoulders. Maybe she should elaborate more. It looked like he didn't understand her words. "So I wouldn't know what being in love mean."

Shouto only stared at her, not saying anything to contradict her words, and Naruto frowned. Was he not satisfied with her answer? Because he wasn't even smiling at her. Her friend did not even give her any hints of his feelings towards her answer. _Am I wrong to use age as an excuse?_ Maybe she should ask him.

"Have you ever been in love, Shouto?" She smiled and leaned closer to her friend. A shudder broke out of her body as the heat radiating from his left side enveloped her. When winter come, she was definitely going to use her friend as a personal heater in school. _Maybe I should try and bring him home._ It would be nice if she had a personal heater at home too.

It would save her some money.

She bobbed her head and darted her eyes at Shouto. A frown broke out of her face as the red cheeks of her friend became even redder. The crinkling warmth that radiated from her friend died down and her whole body shivered as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been thrown at her. Those red cheeks meant he liked someone. Her friend did have feelings for someone; he actually liked someone.

She grinded her teeth together and forced herself to take in several deep breaths as Shouto looked at her. There was only softness in his eyes. A softness that wasn't reserved for her but for the person he liked. A softness that she foolishly believed only belonged to her. Her throat burned as a consuming rage clouded her mind.

She needed to control herself.

"I have feelings for a girl." Those simple words were like daggers to her heart, stabbing her even tighter than any chidori that Sasuke had used on her. Why did it hurt for her to hear those words? And why did she want to stab someone? She should be happy for him. The boy had feelings for someone and was even willing to admit it.

A smile should decorate her face but all she wanted to do was scowl.

"What is _she_ like?" Naruto asked, clenching and unclenching her hands. She knew she should keep her tone happy and upbeat but it was kind of hard for her to do that. How could someone act upbeat when all they wanted to do was maim the girl that their friend like? _Nejire is a lot stronger than she looked._ Maybe she should take lessons from Nejire.

Nejire was a supportive friend to Tamaki, never once did her friend look like she wanted to injure the girl that Tamaki liked. _I should follow her league._ She picked up her pen and tightened her grip on it. If she couldn't stab anyone then she could unleash her anger on her pen. If it broke then she could at least borrow a pen from someone else.

"She is kind." Shouto answered. A smile decorated his face and Naruto found herself grinding her teeth together. The gentleness in his eyes taunted her. It was almost mocking her that Shouto could find someone else to like while she would always have to wonder if someone would ever like her. _The girl he likes is damn lucky._ The thought made her grind her teeth even more tightly together.

She hated this.

"What else?"

Her friend tilted his head to the side and stroke his chin. "She also has a terrible habit of keeping things to herself and acting like she doesn't need anyone but herself."

_Then why the hell do you like her?_ The snarl was on the tip of her tongue but Naruto swallowed it down. She had no right to react like this. They were friends. Friends supported each other; they do not have the burning desire to punch someone in the face. So why the hell did she want to punch Shouto for saying these things?

Had she really gone crazy?

"Then why do you like her?"

Yup, she went insane.

"Because when I was in a lot of pain, she didn't abandon me…even when I was being a jerk to her." Naruto hunched her shoulders and looked away from her friend. Those words made her heart ache. She didn't know why those words could shake her but she did know that she was going to lose him.

She didn't want to lose Shouto.

"She must be really pretty."

Shouto blinked and nodded, offering her a small smile. The small smile made her heart flutter like it was ready to fly away and never come back. It was silly for her to react like this. _Because Shouto wasn't describing her._ Those sweet words belonged to another girl, who probably had a lot less baggage than her.

A girl that wouldn't act so impulsively and could answer his questions without being confused or hurt.

"I think she is perfect in my eyes." It was like another stab in the back to hear those words but Naruto forced herself to smile. He couldn't know how much those words hurt her. He might become angry with her and tell her that she should be happy for him. Because she should understand him. To finally understand that feeling of love should make anyone's heart flutter.

She should just suck it up and be a big girl.

"Your crush sounds like an amazing person."

Those words had never sounded so bitter before.

* * *

_Why the hell am I reacting like this?_

Naruto hunched her shoulders and looked out at the window. The birds flew out of the trees without a single care in the world, singing a song that would make most people smile. But all she wanted to do was take out her kunai, stab those birds and send it to the girl that her friend liked. God, she was just so messed up for feeling this way.

This was the first time in her life that she actually wanted to maim an innocent person and for what reason? Because Todoroki Shouto was acting like a normal boy and had a crush on someone.

"Uzumaki-san, you seem distracted." Naruto jerked her head and blinked at the sight of Yaoyorozu frowning at her. Her friend looked at her with so much concern that it made her hunch her shoulders. She should focus on her friend. Not on some silly boy who had finally developed feelings for someone else. She nodded. Yup, she should be happy and cheerful.

Not acting like a heartbroken girlfriend.

"I'm not distracted." She kept her tone light and cheerful even when Yaoyorozu shook her head. Even if they were friends, she was not going to talk to her about her problems. _My anger is going to go away._ She just needed to have some space away from Shouto and then things would go back to normal between them. That was all she needed.

This stupid feeling inside of her was going to fade away to nothing.

"Uzumaki-san, you know you can talk to me about anything right?" Naruto hunched her shoulders and inhaled as Yaoyorozu offered her a large smile. Why did she always feel so taken aback whenever someone showed her kindness? It had been months since she joined Yuuei High and still she had that lingering question of whether or not people were trying to use her.

She exhaled. "I know but there is nothing wrong with me."

"I think you are upset." Yaoyorozu observed. "And there is only one person that could make you this upset: Todoroki-san. Did something happen between the two of you during class? The two of you were fine this morning."

Naruto clenched her hands into a fist as her friend stared at her with her eyebrows knitted together. _Don't look at me like that._ She clenched her jaws as soft eyes flashed before her eyes. There was no way she could talk about the pain she felt at the knowledge Shouto liked someone. How could she talk about it when she didn't even understand why she reacted the way she did.

When the rumors spread about Sasuke's crush, she smiled and teased Sasuke.

"Nothing happened between us!" The words spilled out and Yaoyorozu flinched. Naruto slumped her shoulders and hanged her head. Great. Just great. Now she let her emotions be seen by her friend. Was she going to use her anger against her? Or tell her that they were no longer friends because of what happened? She shut her eyes.

"Uzumaki-san, you can talk to me about it." Yaoyorozu held her hand and offered her a small smile. "But it doesn't have to be today. You can talk to me when you feel ready about it."

Blue eyes wavered at the sight of the kindness pouring out of her eyes. Maybe she was being a fool to tell her friend about this but she knew herself. If she didn't talk about it now then she was never going to talk about it. She inhaled as her friend let go of her hand. "Shouto told me about his crush."

Black eyes widened and Naruto stared at her, waiting for the girl to look at her with either sympathy or cruelty. It was wrong of her to think like this. Not all girls were like the girls in the Academy. But there was always that lingering thought that her friend would give her that look. Yaoyorozu only stared at her with sad eyes.

"You are upset that he likes someone." Yaoyorozu observed. Naruto chewed on her bottom lip as a frown decorated the girl's lips. Was she upset about the fact he liked someone? It sounded stupid in her mind. Why would she be upset about something like that? Maybe she was just concern that he just started to like someone.

But her heart wouldn't ache at the idea of him sharing those smiles to someone else.

"If I was upset for him liking someone else…why am I be upset?" She asked. Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and looked down at the food that Jiraiya had made for her. Shouldn't she be happy? It meant her friend was starting to heal from the scars Endeavour had given him. She had been happy when there had been rumors Sasuke liked someone.

Of course her happiness had died down when the rumors claimed that someone had been her.

"Uzumaki-san…have you ever consider that you are in love with him?"

Naruto blinked, gawked and took several deep breaths as she tried to calm down her racing heart. Love? No. Shouto was her precious friend. The friend who had always been there for her. It would be wrong for her to be in love with him. Loving him would be wrong of her. Not because she had the Kyuubi or the fact she lied to him.

But because they came from two different worlds and no matter how much Naruto wanted to believe she was free…she was never going to be free of her path.

The Fourth Hokage sealed her fate the moment he placed the Kyuubi inside of her.

"I can't be in love with him."

It would be too cruel for her to love him, not when she probably have to leave him after graduation. She couldn't allow herself to be selfish or fool herself to believe Shouto likes her. _I should just accept his feelings for that girl._ It was better for everyone when Naruto thought about it.

He could be happy and she could always accept the fact that not everyone was meant for love. Even if it was okay for her to love, Naruto wasn't going to risk it.

She had already seen what love could do to a person and she wasn't going to have the same fate.

* * *

"Something seems to be bothering you, Shouto."

Shouto looked away from his soba noodles and looked at his sister. A frown played on her lips as her eyes fixated on him. _What happened?_ That was what his sister seemed to be asking him with the way her eyes shone. He hunched his shoulders as hurt blue eyes shone through his eyes. What did he do wrong? He told her what she wanted to hear.

If they hadn't been in class, he would have told Naruto that he liked her.

"Naruto is upset with me." His sister blinked and raised an eyebrow at him. Shouto looked down at his noodles, almost uncertain of what to tell Fuyumi. Did he just explain it in one shot? Or did he just leave it as it is? He didn't exactly feel comfortable talking about it but Fuyumi was a girl.

She could explain things for him.

"What did you do?" A tired sigh escaped from his sister's lips and Shouto frowned. How was he supposed to know? If he knew what he did wrong, he wouldn't have an upset Naruto to deal with. All he did was describe her and it sounded nice at the time. A lot better than what most people would do.

"If I knew what I did wrong, I wouldn't play with my food." He steeled his voice and his sister didn't flinch at the comment. He guessed compared to their father, he was not someone that would make his sister cry. Not that he wanted his sister to cry but she asked a question that she knew he didn't know the answer.

If it wasn't for the fact Naruto and Bakugou were still on bad terms, he would ask him.

"She asked me if I liked someone," he pushed the soba noodles back and forth as his sister continued to gaze at him. "And I told her that I liked someone. I was going to tell her that I liked her but we were in class…and I don't feel comfortable having everyone know about my feelings."

Kaminari and Mineta would have annoyed the crap out of him while everyone else would have stared back at them. The girls would have probably pressured Naruto to answer his confession and he didn't want that. He hunched his shoulders. He didn't want to force her to like him back.

"So you didn't tell her that you like her?" His sister stated and Shouto frowned. _Why does she look at me like I'm an idiot?_ He raised an eyebrow at his sister and bit his tongue from saying anything. Fuyumi might just unleash her rage at him and he would rather not deal with an angry older sister.

"No."

His sister slapped her forehead. "And did you tell her what your crush was like?"

"How did you know?" Shouto asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister. A scowl decorated his sister's face and it was not long before she smacked her head against the table. Why did she do that? The question seemed to be very logical in his eyes. Even when he repeated the conversation he had in his head, everything pointed back to her.

Fuyumi shook her head. "I know because it would have been logical for her to ask that question, and knowing you…you weren't very specific about the girl!"

"What does that mean?" He frowned and raised an eyebrow. "I told her that she has a terrible habit of keeping things to herself and that she acts like she can only trust herself. That sounds exactly like Naruto."

His sister sighed. "Shouto, what you think might be obvious to people…might not be so obvious to other people. For all she knows, it could be some other girl. She doesn't know all the people in your life and will reasonably believe that it could be some other girl."

"So she believes I like someone else."

Fuyumi nodded and Shouto groaned.

_Why must girls be so confusing? _Life would have been easier for him if he had been born with a Quirk that allowed him to read the mind of a female. Now he had to figure out a way to make Naruto realize that he liked her and not some imaginary girl. God, if she couldn't understand a simple description then how did he go about showing it to her?

Well at least he had the internet to help him.

* * *

**A/N: I just want to thank everyone who read the chapter and please let me know of your thoughts on the chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"This will look amazing on you, Naru-chan!"

Naruto could practically feel so many eyes staring at her and Nejire as her friend held up a dress for her to inspect. It was natural for people to stare at them. Nejire's voice was so loud that it would just be weird for no one to pay attention to them. But did everyone have to look at them like they were a bunch of hooligans? She left those days behind her after all.

Shaking her head, Naruto focused on the dress that her friend held in her hands. It was a pretty dress and she wasn't saying this because it was light shade of orange. Actually the color did help. But there weren't any patterns and the only accessory it had was a thin white belt around the waist.

Naruto sighed and flickered her eyes down to her thigh before looking back at the dress in her friend's hands. It looked good but…there was no chance that she would look great in that dress. It didn't look like it could cover her legs. If anything, it looked like the dress might only just reach slightly above her knees. If it was that short then everyone could see her thighs.

"What's wrong, Naru-chan?" Nejire asked. Her friend tilted her head and knitted her eyebrows together, looking so concerned that it made her pause. Should she just be honest with her? She should. The older girl had never judged her before, so she was not going to start now.

"I'm going to look like crap if I wear that dress."

Nejire poked her tongue against her cheek and focused her blue eyes on her. There was some amusement shining through her eyes and Naruto knit her eyebrows together. What did Nejire find to be so funny? There was nothing funny about her words. If she wore this dress then people were going to make fun of her like Ami did.

There had been no reason for Ami to lie to her when it came to her appearance.

"Naru-chan, do you really think I'm going to make you wear a dress that will make you look like crap?" the older girl asked. Naruto chewed her lips. If it had been anyone else, the answer would be yes. But this was Nejire. Her friend never once tried to put her down but people could change. Maybe Nejire might be pretending to be nice.

No, she couldn't let her negative thoughts dictate her actions anymore.

"Will you be honest with me about how I look if I wear that dress?"

Nejire beamed and vigorously nodded her head. Naruto sighed and snatched the dress from her friend's hands before making her way to the changing room. This was probably a horrible idea. Dresses had never really looked good on her but Nejire seemed so confident that this dress would suit her.

When someone had so much faith in a dress, Naruto couldn't bring herself to protest. Nejire was the first girl who tried to make her accept her femininity. Sakura-chan tried too. But with Sakura-chan, she knew that there had been an ulterior motive that involved her best-friend.

No matter how much she tried to think about it, Nejire had nothing to gain if she wore a dress and acted more confident about her appearance. It was this knowledge that made it easier for Naruto to look at the mirror after she was done changing into her dress.

Different.

That was the word Naruto would use to describe herself as she took in her appearance in the mirror. Was it possible for a single change of clothes to change a person's perception of themselves? She doubt it. But Naruto could never deny the fact she felt different wearing this dress compared to all the other clothes that she wore.

The dress might be a little bit short but when Naruto inspected herself even more, she could see that maybe her thighs were not as big as Ami claimed. Maybe she was wrong about the dress. But she still doubt that this dress looked great on her. If anything it just showed her that maybe her former classmate's words were wrong.

"Are you done, Naru-chan?"

Naruto blinked and jerked her head away. The clear excitement laced in Nejire's voice made her quirk her lips into a smile. Her senior really did remind her of a child at times. But not in a bad way. No. If she was being honest with herself, this part of her senior made her want to smile and laugh.

Bobbing her head, Naruto opened the door and stepped out. Her heart raced against her chest when Nejire tilted her head. A small frown played on her friend's face. Wait. Did her friend think she look terrible in this dress? It was her choice. If it had been up to her, she would be wearing a pair of T-shirt and jeans.

Blue eyes widened when Nejire fished out her phone from her pockets.

What was her senior planning? She wasn't going to take a picture and send it to Togata or Amajiki, was she? No. Naruto might have agreed to go shopping but not once did Nejire suggest she was going to take a picture. She had to stop her. Except the clear swish sound alongside that click told her that it was already too late.

No.

Maybe she was overreacting again.

"Nejire, please tell me that you didn't just take my photo and send it out!"

Guilt flashed through Nejire's eyes as her senior bobbed her head up and down. Naruto slumped her shoulders. Great. Now everyone was going to see her wear a dress and make _stupid_ comments about her wearing a dress. What did she do this to her? Was this payback for all the times she ignored her?

It must be.

"I think Todoroki-san will drop his jaws when he sees you in this dress."

What did Nejire just say? No. Her senior didn't just sent it to anyone but to her dearest friend in this part of the world. Why? Did she think it would be funny to send that photo to Shouto? Judging from that bright smile playing on her senior's lips, the answer must be a yes.

"Why did you send it to him?" Naruto demanded. "And how do you even have his number?"

"I thought Todoroki-san would like to see you in a dress," Nejire replied. The whiskered teen blinked. That was the reason. But why would Nejire think Shouto would like to see her in a dress? They were good friends. The two of them weren't in a relationship or anything. In fact, the mismatched-hair boy liked someone else.

He liked someone else and she should be fine with it.

"He is going to laugh at me when I see him tomorrow and it is all because of you," she grumbled. The smile on Nejire's face disappeared, replaced with a frown and Naruto looked away. She wasn't furious. No sir. Even if a part of her wanted to rip Nejire's hair for what she did, it did not mean she was furious with the girl.

It just meant that she needed to control her temper.

"Do you honestly believe I would send that photo to Todoroki-san if I thought he was going to laugh?" the older girl asked, raising a single eyebrow at her. "And do you also believe that Todoroki-san would laugh at this photo?"

No, he would never do that. But that was because Shouto was kind of dense. It was an adorable trait if you asked her. The fact that he was dense meant it was so easy for her to tease him. But she would have to cut down the teasing when he finally got the nerve to confess to his crush. After all, his future girlfriend would never be happy with him if they saw their relationship.

She knew she would want to murder the girl that might threatened her relationship with her boyfriend.

"He might laugh."

Nejire shook her head and looked down at her phone. "Todoroki-san is a lot of things but when it comes to you…he is different."

Those words should not make her heart flutter but it did. Shouto was different when it came to her. Only she could see him when he was furious instead of him masking his feelings. She was probably one of the few people who had a glimpse of his smiles. Beside Midoriya and Bakugou, she was the only person who knew about his family life.

But what was the point of her being different? He liked someone else and she accepted it. Love was never something that she ever expected for her to have. Love had always been forbidden for her. But Kenji told her that it was okay for her to like someone back. Except how could she know the difference between love and like?

There was a difference between them that she could never understand.

"He might just decide to laugh because I look like a weirdo," she finally said. The words felt hollow to her but Naruto forced herself to smile at Nejire. Today was supposed to be a happy day. A smile should grace her lips instead of a frown. Shouto should be the last person on her mind.

"I don't think Todoroki-san will think you look like a weirdo," Nejire claimed with a large, _knowing_ smile on her lips. Naruto blinked. "I think Todoroki-san will think a million things but a weirdo will be the last thing on his mind."

She raised a single eyebrow at her friend. Why was she so certain about that? Shouto could think she looked like a weirdo. He had never seen her wear a dress before. It would only be natural if the boy believed she looked strange wearing a dress. If Shouto thought she looked anything but strange then she would need to get him checked into a hospital.

"He will think I look like a weirdo."

Nejire sighed and looked down at her. "You want to know what I think, Naru-chan? I think you think like this because you aren't used to wearing a dress."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Naruto grumbled. The blue-haired girl bobbed her head and the whiskered teen sighed. Of course Nejire believed that. Her friend refused to accept the idea that she didn't look good in a dress. If she really looked good in a dress then why were all those girls glaring at her? And why were all those boys looking at her?

It only meant that she did not look good in a dress.

"Naru-chan, I think you should try wearing dresses for the whole month until you get used to the idea," Nejire suggested with a grin.

Naruto frowned. "And what if I refuse the idea? Are you going to make me wear a dress?"

"Well if you wear dresses for a whole month then I will pay for your meals for a whole month."

Damn it.

Her friend really knew how to win her over.

* * *

"Midoriya, why are you avoiding Naruto?"

Shouto kept his eyes focused on the couples passing by as Midoriya chewed on his lips. He should look at his friend. He also should wonder what could be the reason for his friend's strange behavior. But instead his mind kept wandering back to Naruto like it always did whenever he saw couples holding hands.

If he held Naruto's hand, would it be warm? Or would it be cold? If he grabbed her hand then would Naruto blush or would she act indifferent to him. No. Would she understand he liked her if he did it? Because teasing her was quite difficult. How would you tease someone? He had never done it before.

He could try but he didn't want to make a fool out of himself.

"I'm still trying to process what that man told us," Midoriya admitted, hunching his shoulders. "Weren't you shock when they explained everything to us?"

Shouto frowned and looked down at his hand. It had been mind-blowing. The kunoichi thing hadn't made him want to drop his mouth since Naruto explained it to him. But the jinchuuriki thing was a whole different story. The fact such a small female could contain such a huge beast made him blink.

But it was not enough to make him avoid her. Just the idea of avoiding Naruto was enough to make his stomach roll around. He was able to sit down and have a meal with his father because he knew he saw her. Naruto made him smile. She was like the piece of sunshine in his snowy days and the idea of avoiding that sunshine was wrong.

Then again he _really_ liked Naruto.

"I knew she was a kunoichi since it isn't the first time I overheard her," he admitted. "But the other news was a surprise."

Midoriya sighed and looked up at the sky. Shouto tilted his head to the side. Was it a bad idea for him to admit this to his friend? But there was no point for him to lie. It was better for him to admit this truth to his friend then tell him that he had a terrible crush on Naruto. Because the latter should only be said to her.

He didn't want Naruto to find out from someone that wasn't him.

"Do you know why she kept it a secret?" Midoriya asked quietly.

Shouto curled his lips into a frown. Why? It was obvious in his eyes but then again his friend couldn't fully understand Naruto. Not that he understood everything Naruto did but he could pick up clues. He needed to pick up the clues. Without those clues, it would have been easy for him to misunderstand his whiskered crush.

"She never told me the reason but I can guess her reasons," Shouto replied. "It is for the same reason that she doesn't really trust people. Growing up the way she did meant she always had to live with the fear of rejection."

Green eyes flashed with guilt and Shouto kept his eyes focused on Midoriya. He shouldn't feel too guilty. In a way Naruto did lie to him and it was reasonable for him to be furious. But it was not like she wanted to lie. It had been clear as day that the reaction of Midoriya and Bakugou had been the reactions that the girl feared they would have.

It would be a while before Naruto and those two could go back to their normal behavior.

Inhaling, Shouto looked away from Midoriya. His mismatch eyes darted to his watch and a small frown played on his lips. Maybe it was time for him to leave. His sister probably needed some help with setting the table, and his friend looked like he needed some time alone to think if those knitted eyes were of any indication.

As much as he wanted to encourage Midoriya to talk to Naruto, it wasn't his place to do it.

_Ring._

He jumped up and pulled out his phone from his pocket. Who would send him a message? It couldn't be Naruto. She was hanging out with Hadou-senpai. His brother? But Natsuo-niisan claimed that he would be having a date with his girlfriend. Fuyumi-neechan? She would be the most likely candidate.

Knitting his eyebrows together, Shouto swiped the message up. He blinked and gulped at the image of a blushing Naruto wearing an orange dress. His cheeks burned up as his eyes fixated on the dress that seemed keen to remind him of the fact that his crush had a curvy figure.

The orange dress blended well with Naruto's skin, bringing out the brightness of her sun-kissed hair. Blue eyes flared up with embarrassment and Shouto couldn't help but wonder if her eyes would lit up like that if he kissed her. She probably would look as beautiful as she did on the picture.

He tugged his shirt and tried not to squirm as one thought rung in his mind.

_I like._

Gulping, he flickered his eyes down to the message below it. _Like it, Todoroki-san? Naru-chan seems to think she doesn't look cute in this dress._ The clogs inside of his brain stopped. Didn't look cute? She looked more than cute. If Kaminari and Mineta had seen the image, they would probably vocalize all the thoughts that was going through his head.

But he was a gentleman and he would never write vulgar things to Nejire, even if his mind was reaching to that _forbidden_ territory.

_Tell Naruto that she looks beautiful._

That was the best description he could say to her, because it would be weird for him to tell Nejire that Naruto looked mesmerizing. If someone just looked at the photo, they wouldn't just be fixated on her face. No. They probably would focus on how the dress revealed her curves from her chest to her hips or how she had a narrow waist.

He should have gone with them dress shopping to guard Naruto from any male that looked her way.

"Todoroki-kun, are you feeling okay? You look a little bit heated."

Shouto jerked his head. What could he say to him? That he wanted to go to the mall because he didn't want anyone to see Naruto in a dress? That sounded insane. Even if he was a bit dense even he knew Midoriya would quickly realize about his feelings towards their whiskered classmate.

So he had to do the next best thing.

"Yeah, I-I feel a little bit sick."

No way in hell was he going to show Midoriya what Naruto looked like in a dress.

* * *

"_Isn't that Uzumaki? Is she wearing a dress?"_

Bakugou looked away from his drinks and fixated his red eyes on Kirishima and Kaminari. Both teens had turned their heads in the direction to the entrance of the café. He should look in their direction to see what the big deal was, but all he could do was stare at the two idiots before him.

Yes, idiots.

With the way their mouths hanged open and their rosy cheeks, the two teens looked like a bunch of buffoons. All for what? Because they had seen their whiskered classmate in a dress. She probably did not look any different. If he turned his head around, he probably would never react like the two idiots before him.

He was certain that he wouldn't look like an idiot. Nodding his head, Bakugou followed their stares and frowned at the sight right in front of him.

Whiskers looked good in a dress. No. She didn't just look good in a dress but she looked a lot like his mother. Wait. Didn't his Dad used to say his mother would turn heads around? If he looked around then were all the boys gawking at the girl? A quick scan told him that the answer was yes and no.

Most of them were gawking at his whiskered classmate but there were a few boys who had their eyes fixated on the girl's curves. This should not be a big deal. It was not like Whiskers and him were friends. But he did feel the intense urge to use his Quirk on the boys. He wanted to bark at them and tell them that Whiskers wasn't a piece of meat for them.

"Do you think we should invite Uzumaki here?" Sparky asked, bouncing in his seat. "I think I might have a real shot—"

"She is never going to look at you," Bakugou retorted. Kaminari frowned and the red-eyed teen shrugged. If Sparky thought he was going to take back his words then he wasn't going to do it. What would be the point? Whiskers would deny any chance of going on a date with Sparky. She liked someone else so Sparky should look at someone else if he wanted to date.

Kirishima frowned. "Well she is also never going to look at you with your terrible behaviour."

"I don't like her!" Bakugou snarled. "And even if I did like her, I wouldn't go for a girl who likes someone else!"

Spikey and Sparky blinked and snapped their heads at Whiskers. Judging from their wide eyes, Bakugou figured that neither of them realized that Whiskers liked IcyHot. Of course they would never figure out. If either of them considered the idea that the girl liked IcyHot then their hopes of dating her was going to go down in smokes.

After all, it was clear with anyone with eyes that IcyHot and Whiskers had something going on between them.

"Who is the lucky bastard?" Kaminari cried. "Who the hell is my competition! Bakugou! Tell me man!"

Bakugou grunted. Why the hell should he tell him? The competition should have been obvious from the moment IcyHot calmed down Whiskers after that stupid stunt in the Sports Festival. But what was the point of him telling this? Whiskers and IcyHot would deny it in a heartbeat.

"C'mon Bakugou, give us a hint!" Kirishima said, clapping his hands together.

"I'm not telling you shit if you can't figure it out yourself and keep your eyes on your fucking drinks! Whiskers isn't some piece of meat that you should want!"

Why the hell should he spell it out to them? And why did he yell something that obvious to them? Whiskers was nothing to him. Who she liked meant nothing to him. But it should be clear to anyone with eyes, who Whiskers liked. There was only one boy that could make Whiskers act like a normal girl and that bastard was clueless about it.

It would be a miracle if Half-and-Half bastard asked Uzumaki out on a date. Bastard was too dense when it came to girls. Half of the shit he talked to Whiskers could make another female tremble. He was a smooth bastard. A bastard that should never go anywhere near Whiskers.

A growl escaped from his lips and Bakugou stood up from his seat. Why the hell did he give a shit? Whiskers was not his sister. She was a pain in the neck. Bitch was always nagging at him, claiming that he should change his behavior when she was no better than him. So why did he want to throttle IcyHot for looking at her in that way?

Another snarl escaped from his lips and the blond-haired teen stormed his way to the entrance, only to pause when he felt a pair of eyes burning holes at him. Scowling, he twisted his body around and froze at the sight of Whiskers staring at him.

She shouldn't look at him with those _annoying _eyes. If anyone should be upset then it should be him. Did she know how lucky she was that he didn't go to her table and exploded it? She _lied_ to him. This whole time he believed Whiskers had a Quirk, only to learn that wasn't exactly a Quirk.

Not only that but she was a damn kunoichi.

He clicked his tongue and forced himself to look away from her. It was irrational of him. He knew that. Whiskers had every damn right to keep it a secret. Who the hell would have believed that kind of shit? But it didn't mean Bakugou did not feel the erupting volcano that was his anger at the knowledge that she lied to him.

They weren't friends but she should have respected him enough to tell him the truth.

Then again, what should he expect from a girl that looked similar to his missing uncle? Anyone who looked similar to that scumbag was always going to have secrets. He should never expected Whiskers to be any different, just because they had some conversations together.

In the end, she was nothing to him and he was nothing to her.

* * *

**A/N: Please review and tell me of your thoughts about this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"_These are the new changes to the exam format!"_

Aizawa kept his eyes focused on the paper in his hands as Nezu began to explain the changes to the exams. A quick skim through the paper told him that there were not many changes to the exams. The usual protocols were there. The only difference about the upcoming exams for his students was going to be the subjects pertaining to their hero training.

In all the previous years, they would have students destroying the robots and hiring some people to pretend to be some civilians that needed to be rescued. _But Nezu wants to make the students battle the heroes._ The knowledge made him thinned his lips as Nezu went on a long-winded explanation about the changes.

With everything that happened during the term so far, it would be advisable for them to step up the standards. _In a year, some of the students will be going on their Hero-Work Studies._ The memory of his own experience made him grimace. If he did wish for his students to survive, it would be a good idea for them to be placed in a situation where they fought living villains.

"You want us to pair the students up for the exam?" Vlad-King asked. Aizawa looked away from the piece of paper and locked eyes on his fellow homeroom teacher, who looked torn between protesting at the idea or agreeing to it. He could not blame him. Pairing up the students together would be problematic if they don't consider the qualities of their students.

He did not know about Vlad-King's class and their dynamics but he could already think of a couple issues. Todoroki was a smart kid but he did not know how to work well with someone that was not Naruto or Izuku. Kaminari was a smart kid but he failed to use his brains when applying to strategies or even his own studies. The list could go on.

Nezu nodded. "The first years are a talented bunch of students but none of them can defeat or capture any of you by themselves."

_I think Uzumaki is a different story._ Aizawa grimaced and picked up the file of his most talented student. The girl was only fifteen but she already had a few heroes praising her capabilities. It was only natural. The display of talent she showed during the Sports Festival showed that not only was Naruto strong, but she was intelligent. In all the years that he had been in Yuuei, he had never seen anyone who could maintain their top spot during the Sports Festival.

Not even All Might could do it during his time in Yuuei High.

"All of my students can be paired up," Vlad King observed. Trouble dark red eyes darted to him and Aizawa understood what was troubling his fellow homeroom teacher. There was a difference between them. "But Eraserhead's class is different from my class. He has 21 students in his class. Are they all going to be paired up in groups of three? That would be unfair for my class."

The underground hero grimaced at the reminder. Exam conditions were supposed to be fair for everyone in the hero course and unfortunately for Vlad King, Shinsou was not yet ready for the entrance exam. _This all would not have happened if the exam conditions were more fair._ The knowledge made him grind his teeth and he relaxed his shoulders.

There were only two options when it came to his students and judging from the grimace on Nezu's face, the human-like animal knew it too.

"We can either make one of your students fight alone or we will have to put only one team of three, Eraserhead," Nezu said. The words hung in the air and several of the teachers swirled their heads at him. Their eyes gleamed with curiosity and concerned as if they thought he would protest at the observation given to him.

If it had been any other year group, Aizawa would argue for his students but this class was different. Different in the sense that he had only one student whom he knew was capable of dealing with a hero by themselves. Out of everyone in his class, only Naruto had been able to defeat that Nomu in USJ. It was a well-kept secret in the school with only few teachers knowing about it.

"It would be difficult for a student to fight alone," Midnight pointed out. _I could protest and have Naruto fight by herself to even the fairness._ That was something for him to consider. Nezu would agree with him since both All Might and him had given their report about USJ to him. However, there was a good reason for him not to protest with this observation.

A good reason for him to pick the option that everyone wanted him to take.

"I will have one group of three for this exam."

The whole room became silent at his words and Aizawa looked at Nezu, daring him to contradict his words. The principal smiled and nodded his head before flickering his eyes to the file on his hands. Curiosity shone through his eyes as if he wanted to know about his plans for their most gifted student in their school.

"You already have an idea of who you want to place into a group of three."

Everyone snapped their heads at him, their eyes begging him to admit whether this was true or not. He only kept silent as his black eyes focused on the image of a blank-faced Naruto. In any other circumstances, Aizawa would have either placed her alone or have her work with Kaminari and Ashido. Those two would need someone to direct them in the right path.

But things had been different in the classroom for the last month. Bakugou and Midoriya were arguing with each other more often and not a single one of them was capable of trying to work with Naruto. Even when the girl was willing to work with them, the other two would either glare at her or not look her in the eyes.

This was not good for their future and he would need to go for drastic measures to make sure that things improved between the three of them.

They brought it on themselves.

* * *

"Shit! I haven't started studying for the exams and it is in two weeks!"

Naruto swirled her head at Kaminari, who paced bath and forth with his hands tugging his hair. One week. Was he being serious? No, she had to check her phone. She recorded the date of the exam in there. He had to be wrong. She inhaled and pulled her phone out from her pocket, pressing the calendar app on her phone.

_He is right. _The thought numbed her as her blue eyes fixated on the words of her calendar app. They only had two weeks to study for the exam. Two weeks to stuff in all the information that they accumulated in the past semester. How the hell was she going to do this? Shadow Clones could help her memorize but they couldn't apply the knowledge to the exam setting.

She groaned and slammed her head against the table. Her notebook jumped alongside her phone, earning several concerned looks from her classmates. Naruto did not need to look up to know her classmates wanted to understand her problem. They were good people but she didn't want to admit that she got distracted in the past two weeks.

Training and working part-time took over most of her time and that left her very little time for her to remember that they did have exams to study for.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Shouto asked. Naruto looked up from her table and twisted her head around to stare at her mismatch friends. Heterochromia eyes shone with so much concern that it made her throat dry up. It always happened whenever someone showed concern for her. But the butterflies never fluttered whenever someone was concerned for her.

That only seemed to happen around Shouto. _I need to ignore it._ She had to push it to the side because it was nothing special. The boy might be dense when it came to interacting with people but he was a good person. He would always show this level of concern to everyone else. Besides…he liked someone else.

Not that she was jealously or anything because they were friends. Friends should be happy that their dense friend actually liked someone especially when it was someone like Shouto. He deserved to be happy. She was overjoyed for him. It might not look like it when she clenched her jaws at his words but she was happy for him.

So she should just suck it up and answer his question.

"I haven't realized the exams were so near," Naruto answered. She let out a tiny groan and ran her hand through her blond hair as mismatch eyes observed her. _Why are you so worried? You did well._ That was what she got from the silent question burning through his eyes and that only made her hunched her shoulders. "I can study everything but English! That is my worst subject!"

If almost all of her scores were near perfect in the exams then English was the subject where she really did deserve to be called the Dead Last. She could only get half of the questions right. Even then it had been pure luck at times. She could not rely on luck during the exams especially when Present Mic liked to use difficult questions.

The chair rustled and Naruto blinked when she felt a large hand rubbing her back. Heat radiated from that hand, almost acting like a warm blanket in a cold winter's night. Blankets always soothed her and this heat made her relax her shoulders. She twisted her head around and felt her cheeks heating up when she realized that it had been Shouto trying to calm her down.

It should not surprise her since Shouto had done it before, but she thought he would stop doing it since his crush might get the wrong idea about them. _I should tell him._ It was only fair. She did not want him to blame her if his crush misread them. But she could not get the words to come out of her mouth.

Maybe it was because she did not want to lose this sense of warmth and comfort from him.

"You can study with me," Shouto offered. His voice was so low and quiet that she had to strain her ear to hear him. Actually she could hear him properly but there was something about his voice that made her stomach churned. She gulped as his eyes fixated on her. "English is my best subject."

That was true when she thought about it. The only person in their class that could beat him in this subject was Yaoyorozu and judging from the way that most of the students were crowding around her, Naruto doubt that the girl could focus on her. Shouto was the best option for her. He would be able to make her understand the topic.

But another part of her was hesitant about being alone with him again. What if people misunderstood the situation? She could handle it since it would not be the first time for her. But it was a whole different story for Shouto. He liked another girl and that girl might think her friend liked her, when the reality was that he liked someone else.

"Only me and you? Do you want to invite Midoriya with us?" She asked softly. Shouto paused and flickered his eyes to Midoriya, who was surrounded by Iida and Uraraka. His mismatch eyes looked absolutely blank, not allowing her to understand what the hell was going through his head. The only clue she had to his feeling was that tiny, _cute_ crease on his forehead.

A crease that told her of the conflict inside of him. Was he not going to ask Midoriya because of her? Naruto did not want that. Even if the relationship between her and Midoriya was affected, he did not have to accommodate because of it. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him this but closed her mouth when he shook his head.

"Midoriya is going to probably study with Iida and Uraraka," Shouto answered. "I won't be able to focus helping you if we have three more people in the group."

Naruto knitted her eyebrows. "But isn't it better to have a lot of people in a group? We can study better as a group."

"Uraraka and Iida will be more likely to notice something is wrong between you and Midoriya if we all study together," the bicolored haired boy reminded her. _I can't argue with that._ The thought reassured her and Naruto observed her friend. It did reassure her when he pointed things out in that manner, but she knew from the way his eyes avoided her that there was another reason.

A reason that he seemed to have no plans of telling her. She should call him out for it but Naruto also knew Shouto. If he was not going to tell her then he probably thought it was not a big deal. From her experiences, it usually was not a big deal. This knowledge was the only reason she did not ask him for the other reason.

"I guess you are right," Naruto said with a sigh. Shouto relaxed his shoulders and his mismatch eyes lingered on her bright blond-hair before falling down to her lips. She guessed it was normal for a person to look at a person's face but his eyes had been staring at her lips longer than five seconds.

Maybe there was something on her lips? She knitted her eyebrows and poked her tongue against her lips. There was nothing on her lips. She darted her eyes at Shouto and blinked at the sight of his flushed cheeks. What was going through his head? Was he thinking of his crush? Her eyebrows twitched at the thought.

They were supposed to be discussing about their exams and he was thinking of his crush. _Calm down! It is nice that he likes someone._ She chanted those words in her head and took a deep breath. Reasonable. That was what she was supposed to be. Being irrational was her old self and it was what caused her trouble in Konoha.

"Since you are going to help me study English, what should I help you with?" Naruto asked, clearing her throat. Shouto tore his eyes away from her lips and focused his eyes on her eyes. She could see the embarrassment in his eyes and the blonde paused. _He really does look cute when he is embarrassed._ It was hard for her to stay irritated when he looked like this.

It was too bad that she was no longer the only girl that could see this look on him. It was also quite sad that she had to stop teasing him because he liked someone else. _He liked someone else._ Naruto slumped her shoulders. Why did she keep thinking about that? They were friends. Good friends but she stole his first kiss.

She should feel guilty about that but she did feel a little tingle of happiness to know that she was his first kiss.

"I need some help with Physics," Shouto finally answered. Naruto hummed and tapped her fingers against her phone. Physics. That was the subject she did really well in but…wasn't her friend good in physics? She could distinctly remember his scores being one of the best in the class.

But it was not like she could call him out for it. If he really was struggling with physics then it was only fair that she helped him. He did plan to help her with English so Physics should not be a big deal. _I don't want to feel like I am taking advantage of his kindness._ There was nothing wrong for her to help him with that subject.

"Where should we study?" Naruto asked. She was definitely not going to offer her home to him. If Jiraiya was not at her apartment then she would offer her apartment but her mentor could be a busybody. He might misread the relationship between them and she would feel uncomfortable trying to explain it to her teacher.

She also did not want Shouto to be weirded out by Jiraiya.

There was always a chance that they could go to his house but Naruto did not want him to be uncomfortable. She knew how much he hated his house. The house where his mother and siblings had been abused. The house where Shouto was never allowed to be a kid. She locked eyes on him. Even if he did offer his house, Naruto felt uncomfortable to go there.

She couldn't hold her temper in if she met his father again.

"You can choose, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and tucked a strand of her blond hair against her ears. Where should they study? Her workplace was a definite no. There were too many people in there, making it impossible for them to study. The library? That would be an excellent place to study. It was quiet but she did have a terrible habit of falling asleep when the setting was so quiet.

"We should study in the bookstore near my apartment," Naruto finally answered with a smile playing on her lips. "There is a small café that makes the best hot chocolate!"

Shouto curled his lips into a small smile, looking almost like one of the princes that Sakura and the other girls used to talk about in school. _He really is attractive. _The thought made her jerk her head. Why the hell did that thought came to her mind? They were good friends and she should not think about him in that way.

He was her friend and she was _happy_ to be friends with him.

* * *

"I'm going to come back home late for the next couple of days."

Shouto kept his eyes focused on his sister and brother as his sister placed the food on the table. During the whole time his sister cooked their dinner, he had been trying to think of how to tell his siblings of this news. He had never felt the need to tell them but a part of him knew that his sister would be worried sick if she didn't see him come in his usual time.

There was also the fact he did not want his older sister to make food that he probably was not going to eat. If things went on track then he would not have come back to his house until late at night.

_I really want to spend more time with Naruto._ He pressed his tongue against his teeth as his siblings swirled their heads at him. Concern shone through his sister's eyes, telling him that she was worried about whether or not he could study for the exams. Curiosity was the prominent emotion that lit up his brother's eyes.

"Why?" Fuyumi finally asked. Shouto could hear the tremble in her voice and he could see his sister was trying to steady herself. He could not fully understand why his sister was scared. The events that occurred to her friend was gone. Naruto and Gaara had been able to fix the problem so nothing was going to happen to him.

But then again, it was his sister that raised him when Endeavour sent their mother to the hospital. He guessed his sister must see him as a little boy that would always need protecting and that made him pause. When he thought about it in that way then it was understandable why his sister was curious to know of his plans.

"I am going to be studying with Naruto."

The words hung in the air and both of his siblings jerked their heads at him. His sister put down the plate of tofu and began to fiddle with her hair while his brother observed him. Shouto kept his expression blank. It was the truth. He was going to be studying with Naruto in a bookstore that was near her home.

He did not have to mention that he had to convince her not to bring anyone else with them. Midoriya, Iida and Uraraka were his friends but he would never get any time with Naruto if they came. There was also the fact he did not want any of the other boys to study with them. They would be spending more time flirting with the whiskered girl and Shouto would rather keep his temper in check.

"Do you think you are going to get any studying done with her?" Natsuo asked with a sly smile playing on his lips. Fuyumi nodded her head in agreement, not looking one bit convinced by his words. Shouto paused and his brother smiled even wider. "Or are you going to be wasting time mooning over her?"

Shouto felt his cheeks burning up at the accusation while his sister shook her head at him. He wouldn't moon over Naruto. He was a reasonable person if you asked his opinion. But if he did consider what happened earlier with his friend…he could see his point. When the blonde talked to him, he had been distracted by her lips.

Every time he looked at her lips, he would remember how she kissed him. If Naruto had not cleared her throat then he probably would have kept looking at her lips till she had to leave the classroom. _Maybe he does have a point._ But Shouto was not going to admit to his brother that he might be right about his assumption.

_I don't think I can say anything._ The large smile on his brother's lips told him that Natsuo knew what was going to be the words coming out of his lips. This only made him slump his shoulders. He had to spend time with Naruto if he wanted her to know that she was really special to him. Even though he could not actively say the words or show his affections in public, Shouto thought that this had been the best way to go about things.

"You know if you want to get actual studying done Shouto, you should get someone to mediate between the two of you," his brother advised with a chuckle. Grey eyes twinkled with amusement while his sister nodded. Shouto thinned his lips into a thin line. He couldn't ask any of the girls. Ashido, Jirou and Hagakure were going to study with Yaoyorozu.

Asui was a good person to ask but Shouto could not try to show any affections to Naruto in front of their classmate. Mineta was an absolute no since he knew the boy would harass the girl. Kaminari would flirt nonstop with her. Kirishima was a good idea but he did catch the boy looking at his friend lately with hearts in his eyes.

Bakugou would have been the best option but Naruto and Bakugou were still on bad terms.

"We will get some studying done," Shouto declared out loud. He could do this. It would not be that difficult for him to study and give hints to Naruto that he liked her. Even if he could not focus, Naruto could really keep things on track. This was for her after all and if he failed to help her then he might not have another chance.

So he was definitely going to get some studying done with his crush.

Natsuo snorted.

"Sure you will get some studying done and our father isn't an abusive asshole."

* * *

**A/N: Please tell me of your thoughts of this chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"_You are wearing a dress."_

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck as Jiraiya looked at her dress like it was the weirdest thing in the world. When she thought of all the things she had worn in this part of the world, a dress was the one thing she avoided wearing. It made her look absolutely weird and judging from the way Jiraiya eyed her, she must look like a weirdo.

A small scowl played on her lips as she looked down at her orange polka dot dress. She wouldn't even be wearing a dress if Nejire did not tell her that she would buy her ramen if she lasted a whole month in a dress. Was ramen really going to be worth Shouto seeing her in a dress? Nejire claimed Shouto found her beautiful in the other dress but Naruto knew he was being kind.

"I know I'm wearing a dress," she finally said. Her mentor did not say anything, only looking at her like she was a ghost from the past. Maybe it had been a terrible idea for her to wear a dress in front of the Toad Sannin. Maybe it would have been better for her to wear her shirt and pants before wearing a dress.

Jiraiya regarded her as if he was trying to figure something out. His eyes fixated on her eyes and Naruto wondered if her mentor could see the subtle makeup underneath her eyes. She was not wearing makeup because she was meeting Shouto. It was because of the fact she could not sleep properly from the moment Shouto admitted liking someone else.

"Are you going on a date?" Her mentor asked.

Naruto shook her head and stared at the sketch of her parents. How could she go on a date? For her to go on a date, there would have to be a guy interested in her. A guy that she really did like. Shouto liked someone else and this study date was only going to be the two of them studying for the exams. Nothing else.

Shouto liked someone else and that made her stomach churned. He probably liked someone who did not have to correct smut books or someone who could not control her temper. He probably liked someone who could act girly. He would want someone that could be so gentle and Naruto knew she could never be that gentle girl.

"I'm going to be studying with Shouto in the café inside the bookstore near our apartment."

The words rung in the air and her mentor looked at her like he doubt her words. Did he think she was lying to him? Because going on a date in the café inside a bookstore was not the best place for a date. She even had books with her to help her and Shouto study for their exams. Besides she respected Shouto and if he liked someone else then she would accept it.

She would accept it with a wide smile on her face.

"Are you actually going to study with him?" Jiraiya asked with a pointed look. His tone spoke volumes of his doubts of her capability of her studying with Shouto. _I know Shouto is __**really**__ attractive but I can study…as long as I remember that he likes someone else._ Nothing could ever happen between them. She kissed him a month ago and he did not even react to it.

Then again, she kissed him when he did not expect it. _But it won't happen again since he likes someone else._ She would need to remind herself this again and again before meeting Shouto. If he did anything then it was because he was being kind. He did not like her in that way. She should tell Jiraiya but he looked so doubtful even though her answer was a nod.

"Naruto…"

The whiskered-teen slumped her shoulders. She knew that was a tone of concern and it should make her happy. In the last few months, her mentor showed he cared for her. He had been there for her. But could she really talk about it? He would tell her that she needed to suck it up. He would tell her to endure it. She knew he would tell her this because she constantly told her this.

She knew she should not be irritated over the fact Shouto liked someone else. She should be like Nejire. Nejire accepted the fact Amajiki liked someone else. She was not even upset and her friend had a crush on Amajiki. She did not have a crush on Shouto. So what if he gave her butterflies in her stomach? Or make her blush? That he made her forgot reason and kiss him.

"Shouto likes someone else," Naruto finally muttered. Her throat burned when she said those words out loud and her chest tightened at the admission. She does not know why it hurt so much to say those words. They were friends. She was overjoyed for him. Really. So what if her eyes were tearing up at those words.

She was not upset, but she could not bring herself saying those words when Jiraiya hugged her. She should control herself but she wanted to let everything out before she meet with Shouto. The mismatch boy always knew when she was upset. He always watched her and Naruto could not bring herself to tell him that he was the cause of her irritation.

She did not even understand it herself.

"You really like him, don't you?" Jiraiya asked. His tone was filled with so much softness and understanding that it made her sniff. The like in his question was not about the love between two friends. She wanted to shake her head. She wanted to deny his words. But it felt like lying to him. Did she like him in the way Jiraiya was implying to her?

She did not know but she did know her feelings were different from all the feelings that she had with her male friends. Compared to Shikamaru, Choji, Sasuke, Gaara and even Midoriya…she never wanted to kiss them. She never teased them in the way she teased Shouto. Naruto knew this…but she could not admit it out loud to everyone.

"He is my friend…I have to like him."

Jiraiya looked down at her and Naruto could see the conflict in his eyes. _He probably don't want me to admit my confused feelings._ She could figure out the reason. As a female jinchuuriki, she was more vulnerable than a male jinchuuriki. Her mother was proof of it. But Kenji told her that it was okay for her to marry and have relationships with someone else.

As long as she had the Uzumaki Clan with her then she could have at least some form of a normal life. A sigh escaped her lips and the blond-haired girl blinked when her mentor pushed her to sit down on the chair. She looked up at Jiraiya and knitted her eyebrows when her mentor knelt down to look at her.

"Naruto, do you have feelings for him?" Jiraiya asked.

_I don't know._ It was easier for her to say this in her mind but Naruto could not admit out loud to him. Instead she chose to shake her head and looked out to the clock. She still had another thirty minutes before she had to meet up with Shouto. Another thirty minutes before she would have to bottle up her emotions.

Jiraiya looked at her with unconvinced eyes and the blonde forced herself to relax her shoulders. Fine. They could talk about this. She knew her mentor had been in love with Tsunade since he was a kid. _I guess it is better to talk about it with him._ While Nejire was good and her friend, she would rather not have the girl worry about her.

"I don't know if I've feelings for him," Naruto finally answered. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down the trembles in her body. The more she talked about it, the more she could feel the tension inside of her fading away. "But I know I am not happy he likes someone else. I hate that."

It felt good for her to say those words out loud to him. She could feel the tightness in her chest fading away and Naruto took in another deep breath. She rubbed the back of her shoulders as Jiraiya looked at her with confusion and understanding. Maybe what she felt was normal. But was it normal to be this upset for a friend who you held dear to your heart?

"You hate that he likes someone else?" He asked. Naruto paused as Jiraiya observed her. Did she hate he liked someone else over her? She disliked it. Hate was a strong word if you asked her. It was fair for Shouto liked someone else. He had no obligations to like her. She might have kissed him but he had no obligations to like her because of that.

If this had been the case then she would have liked Sasuke and she did not love Sasuke in that way. Naruto exhaled. It sucked for her that she was still the same little girl. The same little girl who could not control her emotions. She tried and tried but it was hard. She could only do it to a certain point.

"I hate the fact that I can't be happy for him," Naruto answered softly. The words sounded so bitter even for her. She wanted to slap herself for not being able to be a good friend. Why couldn't she be happy for him? Shouto was someone who went through a lot of shit. For him to admit his feelings to her that he was starting to heal.

Jiraiya sighed and offered her a small, understanding smile. It reminded her again and again that Jiraiya probably did understand her feelings to a point. She did not know if she was in love with Shouto but Jiraiya loved Tsunade. Maybe he could give her some advice on how to handle these emotions or at the very least fake it till she could make it.

"When Tsunade started to date Dan, I was very upset about it," Jiraiya admitted. His tone was light and there was a large smile playing on his lips, earning a tiny smile from the blonde. So this was natural. She looked down at her small hands before looking back at her mentor. It was weird for her to talk about boys with him but it made her feel closer to him.

"How did you handle it?" Naruto asked.

"I drank myself silly and began writing those books you hate so much," Jiraiya answered. The blonde blinked and swirled her head to the books on the shelf. _He wrote all those smut scenes when he was upset?_ She wanted to hurl at the piece of information but she pushed down the vomit as her mentor continued to observe her. "The Fourth helped me too, but I advise that you don't drink or write smut books."

She had no plans to do that but she would take that into consideration.

"So what would you advise me to do?" Naruto asked as she stood up from her seat. It would be a good idea for her to start leaving the apartment but she would like to hear what her mentor would tell her to do. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smoothed the wrinkles of her dress before looking back at the Toad Sannin.

"You should focus on your studies and training, Naruto," Jiraiya answered, standing up from his spot. He placed his large hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. "And who knows Naruto, maybe things won't work out between Todoroki and his crush. When that happens, you can always swoop in and heal his broken heart but if it does work out between them…you can find someone better."

Those words sounded more reassuring than he knew.

* * *

"_You look amazing."_

Naruto could only blink at the words coming out of Shouto's mouth as he stared at her orange polka dot dress. Was he being serious? He looked serious and her friend was not known for being a jokester. She should say something but all she could focus was the fact that her heart fluttered at his compliment.

There was also the fact that she felt like pushing her shoulders back, instead she settled with a smile on her face. It was not easy to make Shouto's eyes widened but she managed to do it. Not once in her time of knowing Shouto, had she ever seen him look at another girl like that. _He likes someone else._ The thought blared in her head like a pair of megaphones and the blonde hunched her shoulders.

She shook her head and looked down at her orange polka-dot dress before looking at Shouto. The younger boy looked at her with so many emotions that made her throat tightened. He looked at her like she really was pretty in a dress. Naruto inhaled and exhaled. Her heart should stop beating so quickly.

"I don't look weird?" Naruto asked as they entered the bookstore. She could feel several eyes staring at her and the blonde found herself shifting closer to Shouto. She could feel the heat radiating from his left side and brought so much comfort to her. So much comfort that she leaned closer to him. "I've always been told that I look like a monster in a dress. I think it is because of my legs."

She tried to keep her tone light and easy as various boys looked at them. She should not focus on them. _Focus on Shouto._ If she looked at him then she would able to pretend that they were not there. But concentrating on her friend was also terrible. It was not like he made her uncomfortable but his eyes kept flickering from her eyes to her lips before looking at her legs.

The way he kept looking at her made her heart race against her chest. _He likes someone else._ She had to remind herself as the two of them began to take their place on the long line. Just because he looked at her like she was a temptress meant nothing. It was all in her head. Her mind was trying to make up things that were not there.

"You have nice legs."

Naruto blinked and swirled her head at Shouto. Did he just compliment her legs? Was she hearing things? Judging from the way, his cheeks turned a light shade of red that the answer was yes. She lowered her head and tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear as she tried to push down the blush that threatened to consume her.

She should stop things right now. Even though her friend was trying to reassure her, people might mistake things between them. _What if his crush overhears us or see us like this. _It would hurt him in the long run and she had to be a good person. Naruto took a deep breath and waited for her racing heart to slow down before looking at him.

"You know you should be flirting and giving compliments to your crush," Naruto said softly.

Shouto looked down at her with a small frown and he shook his head. Why did he look so disappointed with her words? She gave him advise when it really hurt her to do it. If anyone should be upset then it should be her. Naruto exhaled. She was not going to take those words back because he looked a little bit upset with her words.

"So that was flirting?" Shouto asked. His mismatch eyes locked onto her, looking so innocent that the blonde paused. She knew when he was being innocent but something about that tone made her think that he was not actually being innocent. _Maybe I'm overreacting with things._ It would not be the first time that she misunderstood things.

Shouto was innocent except for the fact that his eyes kept flickering to her lips. His eyes did not have an innocent glint whenever his eyes looked at her lips. _It looks almost like that time when we were in the school grounds._ Her throat dried up at the memory and Naruto forced herself to shake her head. She should answer his question.

She should forget that memory.

"Yes, Homeostasis," Naruto answered. She offered him a smile when the boy raised a single eyebrow at her nickname for him. Since Bakugou used IcyHot for him, she had to find a different nickname that suited him. Judging from the way his lips twitched into a small smile, Naruto could see that he found her nickname to be amusing for him.

_He really is too good-looking for his own good._ That was the only thought that ran through her mind as her blue eyes soaked in the happy glint in his eyes. Her chest tightened as her heart thundered against her chest. The tiny smile playing on his lips could make anyone blush and well maybe she could feel the heat rushing to her face.

"Homeostasis?" Shouto asked as they walked closer to the cashier. "I thought we were going to be studying physics and English…not _biology_."

That tone was definitely not innocent if you asked her. Naruto twisted her head around and froze when she saw his mismatch eyes staring intensely into her eyes. She could feel her breathing increased at the way his eyes looked at her. She shook her head and allowed a tiny laugh to escape from her lips. He was right. They were studying for physics and English today, not biology.

She should change the topic but she felt like teasing him for his comment. Would it be wrong? Most probably. He did like someone and his crush would misunderstand them just like how those girls in Konoha misunderstood her. She knew it. But it would be harmless teasing if you asked her and if his crush misunderstood them then she would explain it to them.

"We could study some biology if you want," Naruto answered as they stopped right in front of the cashier. Her blue eyes darted to the menu before looking back at Shouto. The younger boy stood too close to her, allowing her to feel both the heat and cold radiating out from him. Was it possible for the cold to burn someone? Because she knew heat could burn people.

She darted her eyes to his lips and took in one shaky breath as the memories of what happened between them flashed before her eyes. Did he remember it too? Maybe he forgot about it. It probably did not mean anything to him. He would not have a crush on someone else if that one kiss affected him in anyway.

"So what do you want to drink, Naruto?" Shouto asked. She blinked and swirled her head at him, lips opening slightly when she saw just how close he was to her. Only a few centimeters from her. She could feel his trousers nearly rubbing her and Naruto darted her eyes to the line. Okay. He had to be close to her because there were so many people crowding together.

"Ice chocolate," she finally answered, forcing herself to look at the cashier. The female cashier eyed them, looking almost heartbroken about the sight of them, and Naruto paused. She could guess what the girl believed about them and Naruto could not bring herself to correct the girl's presumption of them.

Instead, Naruto could only focus on the one thought that was now running through her mind.

_I really hope that I can focus the whole time we study for the exams._

* * *

"Why do you need me to come with you? I have a fucking exam to study for!"

Bakugou glared at his mother as they walked through the street leading to their usual supermarket. He knew _that day_ was approaching again and that his mother and grandmother were going to be more attached to him. He wished he could just skip that day. But his mother would be even more unbearable if he tried to skip out on that day.

"You need to take a break from studying, Katsuki!" His mother scolded. Bakugou grunted. He got third place in the damn mid-semester exam and he got second place in the damn Sports Festival. He was going to get first place in the actual exams. How the hell was he going to get first place in the exam if he did not study.

Of course if he sprouted those words to his mother then she would destroy the table and his father would ask him if he had to push his mother. Bakugou really did not understand how the hell his mother ended up marrying his father. A scowl played on his lips and he looked away from his mother. He stopped in his steps when his eyes caught sight of a familiar shade of blond hair on the window across him.

_Are those two on a date? Or are they actually studying?_ Bakugou could only ask himself this question as his eyes fixated on Whiskers and IcyHot. Their books were opened but those two were sitting too close to each other if you asked him. He could feel his eyebrows twitching when IcyHot tucked a strand of the blonde's hair against her ears.

_Since when was he suave?_ He should look away from them but Bakugou couldn't look away from them. Those flushed cheeks and the tiny smile playing on her lips was probably the happiest he had ever seen her. He snorted when those two jerked away from each other and looked down at their books.

"What are you looking at, Katsuki?" His mother asked. Bakugou stared at his mother and then looked at Whiskers. Now that he had his mother by his side, he could really some of the resemblance between them. They had the same nose shape and their ears seemed to be really similar too. He glanced at his mother and paused at the teary expression on his mother's face.

Her red eyes glistened with some tears and Bakugou could see the Old Hag trembling at the sight of Whiskers. Her whole face paled and looked at his classmate like she was a ghost from the past. _She looks a lot like Minato-ojisan._ He growled and shoved his hands into his pockets, waiting for his mother to say something.

"Do you know her?" Mitsuki asked. For the first time in his life, he could hear the tremble in his mother's tone and that made him pause. What should he do? He could lie to his Mom. It would not be the first time he had ever lied to his Mom. Whenever Parent Participant Day came, he would lie to her about it.

He should lie but Bakugou knew it would just backfire if it ever came out. Whiskers was a whole different story when it came to Parent Participant Day. His mother and grandmother never got closure to what happened to his Uncle. If Whiskers had a connection to his Uncle then his relatives deserved it…even if he was still pissed off with Uzumaki.

"Didn't you pay attention to the Sports Festival?" Bakugou demanded with a scowl on his face as he shoved his hand deeper into his pants pocket. "That is Uzumaki Naruto. She is the one that won the Sports Festival."

The Old Hag kept flickering her eyes from him to Whiskers as if a theory washed over her. Bakugou could see his mother staring at Whisker's blond hair and he focused his attention on IcyHot. The younger boy kept looking at their classmate like she hanged the stars over the night sky and that made him roll his eyes at the boy.

_Whiskers is completely blind not to notice the fact that IcyHot likes her._ He could practically see the hearts in his eyes and the same went for the blond-haired girl. The tension between those two was so thick that Bakugou only needed a butter knife to slice it. He rolled his eyes and flickered his eyes at his own mother.

"I didn't pay much attention to your competition," his mother admitted. "Who is her Father?"

Bakugou looked at his mother before looking back at Whiskers. _Her Father?_ That was the one thing he never asked Whiskers. He knew her last name came from her mother but the blonde had never mentioned anything about her Dad to them. He glanced back at his mother's hopeful eyes and the blond-haired teen grunted.

"No fucking idea," Bakugou finally answered. "Uzumaki has been an orphan for as long as I have known her."

The Old Hag did not look away from his classmate until Whiskers looked at them.

_(His mother stayed quiet for the rest of the day and Bakugou wondered if it had been a good idea to tell this to his mother)._

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**A/N: Please do review and tell me of your thoughts about this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

_(Four days later)_

"_So tell me about your crush."_

Shouto looked away from his sweet and focused his attention on Naruto. The two of them were taking a break from studying since the blond-haired girl grumbled that she could not focus for three whole hours. It was understandable for her to want a break but it was not understandable for his friend to ask a question that made her unhappy.

He knew she was unhappy even though she had a smile on her face. There was the slightest wobble on the top of her lip, hinting of her distress. It did not help her tone had been different from the usual tone she made whenever she was happy. It was concerning. It was even more concerning when he considered how Naruto had never been the type to ask questions that made her unhappy.

Why did she want to know? And didn't he make it obvious he likes her? For the last four days, he complimented her whenever they were alone. He remembered what was her favorite drink in this café. _Ice chocolate but only because they don't have an orange smoothie._ He thought that helped alongside touching her hand and leaning close to her whenever they discussed a topic.

_For all she knows, it might be another girl._ His sister's words echoed in his ears and Shouto paused. His mismatch eyes focused on Naruto, lingering on the tight smile on her face. He wanted that smile to fade. It was bad enough he had to watch her pretend that everything was fine between her, Midoriya and Bakugou to everyone in their class.

He took a deep breath.

"Why are you asking me about her?" He finally asked. Shouto kept his tone quiet as he observed his blond-haired crush. It would be too much for him to think Naruto likes him back. She might have started calling him Homeostasis but it would be too much for him to think she likes him back. The girl did kiss him and told him that she kissed him because he admitted that he didn't want her to die.

He understood the reason for her kissing him since Naruto could be impulsive at times. Her speech for the Sports Festival was proof of that and usually her impulsive behavior was a bad thing. But Shouto wanted her to be a little bit impulsive again. He wanted her to just voice out the reason for her unhappiness, not putting on a wobbly smile for him.

"I'm just curious, Homeostasis!" Naruto answered. Her voice was filled with fake happiness as her blue eyes avoided looking at him. He thinned his lips and focused on her lips. Most of the time, he would imagine what it would be like to kiss her. But right now, all he could focus was on how her voice betrayed her real feelings on the matter.

He took a deep breath and looked down at his hands before looking at Naruto. He should be patient and just drop the matter with her. But his patience was wearing thin and Shouto did not like having her put on a wall between them. It had been fine during the beginning of the semester. But he thought that they were behind this.

Shouto took a deep breath and placed his hand on Naruto's chin. He tilted her head and a part of him did feel guilty for making her look up to him when she clearly did not want to look at him. But he could never read her when she did not look him in the eyes. Out of everyone in their whole class, he would like to believe that Naruto's emotions were the easiest for him to read.

Blue eyes stared back at him as if worried that he might know what was going through her mind. He wished that was the case. It would be nice if he could read every thought that went through her mind. If he could know every single detail about Naruto. But his Quirk did not allow him to do that and for the first time in his life…he wished he had a Quirk that allowed him to read her mind.

"Why are you asking me something that makes _you_ unhappy?" He finally asked. Shouto kept his tone calm even though he wanted to raise his voice at her. He was better than his father. He knew that but Naruto was asking questions that made her unhappy. He could only think of one reason for her unhappiness. His sister spelled it out to him that day. "I know you aren't happy with the fact I like someone."

The words hung in the air and Shouto could see Naruto's eyes widening at his statement. He could see the pain in her eyes and Shouto felt guilty for stating this out loud. He should apologize to her but he wanted her happy. He wanted to see her smiling like there was no tomorrow like that day in the amusement park.

_Shouto, let's go on that ride._ The memory of the amusement park flashed through his eyes and Shouto could not stop himself from flickering his eyes to her lips. What would have happened if neither of them had been interrupted? Would they have continued on? Or would he have figured it out that he had a crush? He did not know but he did know it had been one of the best memories in his life.

The other best memory had been Naruto kissing him. _I think things would have been different if I kissed her back._ The thought made him pause and Shouto flickered his eyes to her pink, plump lips. They had been soft when she kissed him. He had been too shock for him to react to her kiss. He took a deep breath and looked back at Naruto.

Blue eyes did not seem focused on his own eyes, instead they focused on his lips. Her eyes darkened with an emotion that Shouto did not know all too well but it was an emotion that made him gulp. In that moment, he believed his crush looked almost like one of those kitsune that seduced men or so he read once.

He cleared his throat and Naruto tore her eyes away from his lips. He could see the embarrassment in her eyes alongside the irritation. Was it directed at him? He did not know but he guessed it was not directed at him. The girl was cursing under her breath and not looking him in the eye, which meant that she might be irritated with herself.

After all if Naruto was irritated with him, she would tell it to his face.

"I'm happy for you," Naruto finally said. There was a fake smile playing on her lips as her eyes focused on him. Shouto thinned his lips. That was a lie. When his friend was happy, she would make a small smile that could make anyone's heart flutter. It made him feel warm like he was standing right next to a heater.

Shouto exhaled and darted his eyes around the café. Several males looked at them. _They are more focused on Naruto._ He knew they were focused on his pretty blond-haired classmate since their eyes were locked onto either her legs or her breasts. The knowledge made his eyebrows twitched and he could only grind his teeth together.

He could not even glare at them or freeze them.

"Don't lie to me, Naruto." The words hung in the air as he kept his tone soft and firm. His irritation was not going to be directed at her. It was not her fault that she looked really beautiful in a dress. Those boys were at fault for not keeping their eyes focused on her face. They were at fault for not realizing she was with him.

Blue eyes wavered, looking at him like she was uncertain of whether to admit the truth to him or not. Shouto took in a deep breath and leaned closer to her. If he got closer to her then maybe she would be more incline to tell him the truth. Except now that he was closer to her, he could spot more details about her. He could see how her lower lip was more plump than her upper lip.

He could see how her eyes really were like jewels and that the whisker marks on her cheeks looked smooth. Shouto could see how her eyes kept flickering to his lips, looking at it like maybe she might want to kiss it. _Maybe I'm hoping for that part._ He would never deny that maybe he liked Naruto. That he had strong feelings for her.

"I-I am not lying," Naruto declared. He could hear the waver in her tone even though her eyes dared him to contradict her words. The defiant look in her eyes made Shouto's lips twitched. _I think she had the same look when she talked back to Endeavour._ He liked that side of Naruto but it took a lot for her to bring out that side.

He knew that he should not push her buttons but he had to make one thing clear to her. _I'm not like everyone else in our class._ He used to watch her during their first couple of weeks in school. Not only because she called him a bastard, but also because of the fact she reminded him of his mother. Except Naruto was different from his mother.

She might be gentle at times but she had a steel backbone when needed.

"You are a terrible liar."

The words hung in the air as Shouto looked down at her wobbly lip. He should look away from her lips. He should focus on her pretty blue eyes. But there was something about her lips that hypnotized him to stare at it. Someone cleared their throat and Shouto felt his cheeks heating up when he realized that person was Naruto.

His crush had flushed cheeks as her eyes locked onto him. He should probably make some excuse except Naruto was not scolding him. Instead her eyes was filled with an innocent curiosity alongside another emotion that made his heart race. He darted his eyes to their forgotten textbooks before looking back at the girl.

"I don't like the fact you have a crush on someone that I don't know," Naruto muttered. Shouto could hear the sincerity and frustration in her voice as the blonde hunched her shoulders. He could also see that his friend felt guilty for admitting those words since her eyes refused to meet his own. He guessed that this was a step forward between them.

_But it is also a step backwards if I think about it_. Shouto took a deep breath and looked at his friend. _Someone that I don't know._ He took several deep breaths and schooled his expression. Were the touches not getting through to her? Or the fact that he kept looking at her lips whenever he had the chance?

What was he doing wrong?

"You know that person."

Those blue eyes widened at his words and Shouto could practically see the clogs going through her mind. Was she going to figure this out? But then again it sounded more vague than when he tried to describe herself to her. _I have a feeling that I might make things worse._ The thought made him pause and he prayed that he was wrong this time.

"Is it Ashido? Yaoyorozu? Tsuyu? Uraraka? Hagakure? Jirou? Itsuka?"

Shouto shook his head as the girl continued to go down the lists of females that they both knew. The more he shook his head, the more Naruto knitted her eyebrows together. It came to the point that he could see a deep line forming on her forehead. He leaned his body forward and wondered if he should just press his hand against her forehead.

_She wouldn't be thinking this hard if she knew I'm trying to tell her that I like her._ A sigh escaped from his lips. How could she not understand when he gave Naruto all of the clues? Why did she list people she knew he did not hang out as much as her? He liked her. Naruto was the person that he liked even though she could be stubborn about talking about her problems.

He liked her for being there for him even when he had been a jerk to her. She made him relax and he always had fun with her. Wasn't it obvious that he like being around her? With other people, he struggled to talk to them. But it was so easy to talk to Naruto. She was always on his mind and she was the only one that could make him lose his temper.

_It is obvious I like you._

He blinked when he did not hear the chatter coming out of Naruto's mouth. That was odd. He flickered his eyes to the blonde and blinked at the sight of her flushed cheeks. Why did she stop talking? And why was she blushing? Shouto knitted his eyebrows and leaned his body forward, hand reaching out to check her forehead.

Shouto tilted his head when Naruto grabbed his hand. A tingle shot through his whole body and Shouto noticed that Naruto's hand trembled. Was she sick? Heated cheeks and trembling arms were the sign of a sickness if he considered it. The blonde refused to look him in the eye, only focusing on their books.

"Naruto?" He asked. Shouto kept his tone soft and gentle as his mismatch eyes locked onto the quiet, flushed blond-haired girl. He wanted to ask her if she was alright but those blue eyes pleaded for him to not ask anything. He paused and looked around the small café. _This isn't even the time for me to question her._ He sighed.

"W-We should focus on studying for the exams."

He could not argue against that point.

* * *

"_So how was your study date with Todoroki?"_

Naruto bit back the squeak that threatened to come out of her lips as Jiraiya offered her a concerned look. The two of them were currently having dinner and until now things had been quiet between them. It had been a good quiet. The kind of quiet that allowed her to process her thoughts and feelings over what happened with Shouto.

_It is obvious that I like you._ Shouto's deep voice rung in her ear as if to remind her that she had been absolutely silly for not realizing his feelings towards her. Feelings that he had been making clear to her. She looked down at the steamed rice. All those touches, lingering looks and those compliments were not him being his kind self.

It was Shouto's way of trying to convey that he liked her and she did not know whether to groan or squeal at the knowledge. Squeal over the fact he liked her. She did not fully understand why those words made her want to squeal, but Naruto knew it had made her heart race like a car in one of those Formula One races.

She also wanted to groan because Shouto had said those words without realizing it. She also wanted to whack him because Shouto should know that it had been easy for her to mistook his words. _I mean it is not like everyone would presume it was them that the confessor was talking about._ But then again it was Shouto and he was dense at times.

"I-I misunderstood Shouto," Naruto admitted. She wished she had kept her tone even and calm but she could still recall how his eyes had been filled with frustration and an intensity that made her want to squirm. He made her heart fluttered with those words. _Now I understand why he actually showed his hot-headness this time. _ He never said anything but his eyes had been growing more and more aggravated when she listed out all the girls they knew.

If she had been in the receiving end, well she would not have kept her temper.

Jiraiya put down his chopsticks and jerked his head up at her words. His black eyes watched her as if he was trying to figure out what she meant by those words and Naruto fought back the blush that threatened to consume her. _It is obvious that I like you._ No one had ever said those words to her…even if she knew Shouto did not know he said it out loud.

"What do you mean by misunderstanding him?" The Toad Sannin asked. His voice was laced with curiosity, amusement and alarm as his eyes locked onto her. Naruto kept quiet. It felt really awkward for her to talk boys with Jiraiya and something told her that it would be a terrible idea to tell him.

Maybe it was because she feared he might try and peek in on her relationship with Shouto. _N-Not that it would happen._ An image flashed through her mind and she bit back a squeak. Nothing was going to happen between them until she thought of how to brooch the topic with Shouto. Nothing would happen unless she talked about it or when Shouto actually brought it up.

She did not know how to even bring it up to Shouto. _I should focus on the exams and then after that…I can talk about it with him._ The thought made her sweat. This was something that she had never done before. Did she want to talk about it? She did not even know what exactly her feelings were towards him.

"Shouto told me that he _likes_ me."

It was there out in the open and Naruto felt her cheeks burning up to new shades of red. Her heart kept beating against her chest like it was in a boxing ring while her chest tightened at the spoken realization. Was this really happiness? She did not know any more. She thought she knew happiness when Hinata became her friend.

She looked back down at her food before looking back at her mentor. The middle-aged man kept blinking and blinking, looking at her like he did not know how to process her words. Seconds passed before the man would look away from her. Had it been too much to talk about it with him? But they did talk about her feelings before.

"How does that make you feel?"

_Happy._ She wanted to admit the feeling out loud to him but Naruto paused. It would be one of the few times in her life that she would actually vocalized her true feelings to the man. But there was another feeling inside of her too. She looked down at her food. It was the same kind of feeling that she had whenever someone accused her for having feelings for Sasuke.

_Irritation._ That was the name of the other feeling inside of her. If he liked her so much then he should have made it even more obvious to her._ I wouldn't have even mind if he kissed me._ She blinked. Would she have been okay if he kissed her? It would have been nice. She did enjoy kissing him but he had been frozen at the time.

"It makes me happy but I also wish he was very aware when he said it out loud," she admitted. Her mentor looked torn between laughing, slapping his forehead and groaning at her words. Naruto did not know why he wanted to groan out loud. If anyone should complain then it should be her.

The Toad Sannin took a deep breath and focused his eyes on her. His black eyes kept flickering between her and the sketch that Kenji had given her of her parents. She should ask him why he kept looking at the sketch but something stopped her. Maybe it was the fact that she knew deep inside of her that the man would never answer her.

"Are you willing to admit that you have feelings for him now?"

_My heart did flutter when he said he likes me._ She pushed her lips back and forth as her eyes focused onto her own food. Did that mean she liked him? She needed to consider all of the feelings that she ever had before. It had been the first time in her life that she was upset at the knowledge her friend liked another girl.

She guessed that was jealously. _It is a really ugly emotion._ Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and looked back at her mentor. He still had his eyes fixated on her as if waiting for her to begin talking. She took a deep breath while the man took a bite of the cooked meat. If this was the emotion that Sakura and Ino used to feel whenever Sasuke talked to her then she understood them just a little bit.

Naruto exhaled.

"I have feelings for him but is it alright for me to date him?" She asked. Black eyes widened and the blonde raised a single eyebrow when the man began choking at her words. Naruto just waited for him to stop choking before continuing on. "I mean we will have to go back to Konoha when I graduate from Yuuei."

Jiraiya looked at her with wide eyes and Naruto frowned. Why was he so shock? She was actually willing to admit her feelings out loud, now she knew Shouto liked her. There was also the fact she had been thinking about it since Shouto said those words out loud. If she spilled her feelings to him when he wanted what was wrong with her…well she knew she was going to make a hasty mistake.

Naruto did not want to make a mistake with him.

"Do you really think that if you date him that it can last that long?" Jiraiya asked her.

Naruto tucked a strand against her hair and looked at the Toad Sannin. His eyes was serious but that was not what made her pause. It was the fact he was not trying to convince her not to date Shouto. She presumed he would be against it. Love was after all something dangerous for a female jinchuuriki. What happened to her mother was proof of it.

Although Kenji told her that she would be different from her mother. The Uzumaki Clan would back her up if she ever planned to have kids. _Do I want kids?_ That made her jerk her head. This was something she had never thought about since she learnt she was a jinchuuriki. But she was still fifteen and there was a long time before she had to think about that aspect of her life.

That was not the point of the question.

"I don't know," Naruto finally answered. "But I think it can last that long."

The Toad Sannin sighed and looked up to the ceiling like it might be the answer to everything. She could only raise a single eyebrow at the man. Maybe he should not have been a shinobi. The man was better suited for the theater. He was acting way too dramatic for being her mentor. This was the kind of behavior she expected from a father or even a grandfather.

Not from her mentor.

"If it lasts that long then you should worry about it then," Jiraiya finally commented. "Not everyone stays together with their first relationship."

Naruto nodded and curled her lips into a smile.

"But wouldn't it be nice?" Naruto asked quietly. Her mentor blinked and the blonde looked to the sketch of her parents that stood on the mantel. Her heart ached and she took a deep breath. "I heard from Akira that my Mum ended up marrying her first love even though she was against it."

Her mentor kept quiet and the lack of surprise in his eyes made her pause. _Is there something that he is not telling me?_ Naruto thinned her lips and took a deep breath. This was not the time for her to confront him. She had an exam to study for. If he knew something and not tell her then she knew she was not going to focus for her exams.

"Did anything else happen besides Todoroki's unintentional confession?" Jiraiya asked. _He is not looking me in the eye…he is definitely hiding something from me._ She thinned her lips and took a deep breath to control herself. Her exams were nearby. She needed to remind herself this. Whatever her mentor was keeping from her was of no importance to her.

She would do what he wanted and change the topic. _Anything else?_ Naruto knitted her eyebrows together and mournful red eyes flashed before her eyes again. That was weird when she thought about it. _I don't think it is even the first time._ She focused her eyes on her mentor as more incidents flashed through her mind.

"I think I saw my classmate's Mum watching me again."

The words hung in the air and Jiraiya frowned. His black eyes flashed with alarm and the whiskered-girl wondered if it had been a good idea for her to inform him. But what else could they talk about? The secret that he _might_ be keeping from her. She still had an exam to worry about and so this was probably the best topic for them to talk about.

"What do you mean again?"

Naruto shrugged.

"I keep seeing her watching me whenever Shouto and me take breaks," she admitted with a sigh. She tilted her head and rubbed her chin as black eyes locked onto her. "You know she always looks at me with sad eyes…like I'm some kind of ghost."

Jiraiya froze. He did not blink or laugh at her words and this only made the blonde thinned her lips. What was with that reaction? Was there a connection to whatever her mentor was keeping from her? She should ask him. But the words were stuck in her throat like it always did whenever she thought about bringing up her father.

Kenji-sensei did not like her father and Akira made it clear to her that she had not fully supported her mother marrying someone outside of the clan. Besides…she felt uncomfortable about asking them about her father.

"Which classmate?"

She blinked.

"Bakugou."

The Toad Sannin frowned and locked eyes with her before flickering to the sketch of her parents. His eyes moved from the sketch to the photo of her with the Hokage. Naruto took a deep breath and looked down at her food. Was it possible Jiraiya knew her parents? But that would be impossible. He would never keep it a secret from her.

But people had kept secrets from her before.

"Naruto, I'm going to be away for the next few weeks," Jiraiya declared. She jerked her head and the white-haired man grimaced as his eyes fixated on the sketch of her parents. "I have some research to do."

She had the feeling that research was going to change her life and she wasn't certain if it was going to be a good thing or not.

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**A/N: So Naruto is suspicious of Jiraiya and Shouto had confessed without knowing it. Here are a couple of questions:**

**Question 1: How furious do you think Naruto will be when she learns about her father?**

**Question 2: Do you think Naruto has the right to be irritated with Shouto for not being clear?**

**Please do tell me your answers to the questions and of your thoughts about this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

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_Is it possible for Minato-niisan to have a kid?_

This was the only thought running through Mitsuki's mind as her eyes followed the fading figure of her only child. The question had been bugging her from the moment she caught sight of Katsuki's classmate. Until she saw the blond-haired girl, Mitsuki always thought Katsuki showed some resemblance to her older brother.

But that blond-haired girl in that bookstore café looked so much more like Minato. The same golden hair as her brother and the same bright blue eyes of her mother and brother. Uzumaki Naruto could almost pass off as a female version of her brother except her face was just a little bit rounder than Minato. But her smile was just like her older brother.

"Are you going to go to that bookstore again?" Her husband asked. _It is none of your business._ The answer was ready to roll out of her mouth but Mitsuki held it back. Instead she focused on her son, taking in several deep breaths to calm herself down. She scolded her son for being a rude little shit and she had to practice what she preached.

Besides, it was reasonable for her to answer him. Masaru knew about Minato and how his disappearance affected her and her whole family. He had always been understanding when it came to her feelings towards her missing brother. She sighed and looked up to the clear morning sky before looking back at her curious husband.

"She is not going to be there with her boyfriend," Mitsuki finally answered. Her red eyes flickered to the window of their living room before looking back at her husband. "Today is her last exam."

Masaru blinked at her response and she slipped her hands into the pocket of her skirt. After today, her son would have some free time before he would have to go to that trip that his school planned for his class. Maybe she should suggest Katsuki to get closer to his classmate and try to figure out who his classmate's father was.

It could not be coincidence her son's classmate looked so much like her half-brother. _But if my suspicion is right then Minato is gone._ The knowledge made her throat tightened and she grinded her teeth together. It was one thing not to have a body but to know her brother had been alive to have a child born.

It really made her big brother selfish and Mitsuki knew if her brother was still alive…she would punch him for it. _Mum was never the same since his Father took him away._ She clenched her jaws together and exhaled. There was no way for her to know unless she could get a strand of the girl's hair and compare it to her own mother.

"How do you know this?" Her husband asked. His eyes flashed with a weariness and a nervous energy that Mitsuki usually found adorable, but at the current moment she felt her eyebrows twitched. Must she tell him everything? It was not like she was guilty. The girl looked too much like Minato and it just made sense for her to keep watching the girl.

She finally sighed. "She is Katsuki's classmate."

Masaru blinked at her willingness to answer the question and Mitsuki scowled. She would keep it quiet but if her suspicions were right then they could not keep it a secret. Her mother deserved to know that there was another grandchild out there. _She will definitely want to go to Minato's gravesite and scream at him._ The thought made her frown.

How long ago did her brother die? Katsuki had no idea of how long his classmate had been an orphan and the knowledge made her scowl. If only her son was a polite little shit then it would be easy for her son to get information. _I don't know where he gets his rude behavior._ She folded her arms against her chest and grunted.

If that girl was anything like Minato then she probably would be terrified of Katsuki.

"Why have you been watching Katsuki's classmate?" Masaru finally asked. His tone was laced with concern and suspicion as if he could not understand her sudden interest in their son's classmate. Did she mention to him that the girl look like Minato? Judging from the disapproval shining from her husband's eyes, the answer was a no.

_Must you always nag?_ She scowled and folded her arms against her chest as her husband looked down at her. A scowl from her would normally cause her husband to flinch and back off from the topic. But his eyes did not yield to her demand. They did not flinch and she wished her husband would just be his usual self. She preferred when he was quiet and trembling especially when it came to this topic.

If she wanted some peace in their household then she better start talking.

"She looks a lot like Minato," Mitsuki answered. She kept her tone rough and focused her eyes on the students walking to their school. She did not need to look at her husband to know that he was concern. He always got concern whenever she brought up her half-brother. "The same hair color and the same eye color."

She looked at Masaru and her husband stared at her for a good couple of seconds, before looking straight at the window of their living room. He was probably looking at the photo of her brother that she had on the shelf. Her husband always looked to that photo whenever she brought up her missing half-brother.

Her eyes always wandered to the photo of her mother which stood right beside her half-brother's photo. If there was anyone who missed her half-brother even more than her, it was her mother. When her brother went missing after their walk in the park, her mother had been furious with everyone. _I don't know how Minato-niisan is the calm one when our Mum was always so explosive with her anger._ She sighed.

"_Mitsuki-chan, can you describe the man that you saw talking to your brother?"_ Even now when Mitsuki closed her eyes, she could still see the indifference in the officer's eyes when he questioned her. She could still remember crying while her mother looked at her with pleading eyes to describe the man that her friends saw Minato talking to.

Till this day, Mitsuki could still vividly recall the similarities between Minato and his biological father. There was no one in this country who had the same shade of blond hair as her brother. All Might had been close and she recalled her brother asking her mother if All Might had been his father. Her mother snorted and told him that she wished it had been the case.

"Your brother has been missing for more than 30 years, Mitsuki," her husband reminded her. His tone was soft and quiet as if he was afraid that she might break from the reminder. Mitsuki only snorted. She knew how many years had passed since her brother's disappearance. 33 years passed since his biological father took him away. "Whatever theory is going through your head, it is impossible."

_But isn't it possible?_ Mitsuki rubbed her chin as her red eyes focused on the photo of her brother. Was it really mere coincidence that Katsuki's classmate smiled in the same way her big brother did? Was it coincidence that she had the same shade of blond hair as Minato and his biological father? While she had done well in school, she was still no scientist.

"We never found his body," she reminded him. _If he died all those years ago then we would have found a body by now._ They could never find any trace of his body. It was this fact that kept her mother going through all these years and Mitsuki would admit that she admired her mother. She might have been a hardass, smothering at times too but her mother kept herself together.

If anything ever happened to Katsuki, she doubt she would have kept herself together like her mother did.

_But if I tell her that Minato is dead, I don't know how she will react._ She rubbed the back of her neck and scowled. Would her mother just be as stone cold as a statue if she told her that Minato was now truly gone? That he had been selfish bastard by not giving them a single hint that he was fine or that he was even going to be a father.

"You need to let it go," Masaru said. The firmness in his tone made Mitsuki twisted her head to look at her husband. His eyes looked at her with such pity and sympathy that it made her grind her teeth together. Let it go? Did her husband think it was that easy for her to let it go? She wanted to yell at him but she reined in her temper.

She knew her husband was saying this out of love and concern for her. His eyes showed it to her. She knew from his tone that he was concern for her. But the memories of her smiling big brother kept flashing through her eyes and she could only grind her teeth together. It was hard to let go when she felt the guilt crawling up in her heart.

"You think I haven't tried to let it go, Masaru?" She snarled. Mitsuki wanted the memories of the last day between them to fade away and feel the warmth of the summer. But all she felt was the lingering coldness of the snow nipping her fingers. The coldness reminded her of the day where she ignored her friends telling her that her big brother was talking to a stranger. "It is my fault that he went missing!"

_If only I kept my eyes on Minato-niisan…maybe he wouldn't be dead._

She held back the sobs even when her husband wrapped his arms around her. Minutes passed and she felt herself relaxing her guard. Whenever her husband would make such warm gestures to her, Mitsuki would always let down her guard and allow the tears to flow out in buckets. She could never cry right in front of their son, not when tears were a sign of weakness.

"It is not your fault," Masaru muttered into her hair.

She shook her head and looked up at her husband. "If I kept my eyes on Minato-niisan or stayed by his side then his father would never approach him and he might still be here."

_I should have told them the truth._

* * *

_Now that the normal subjects exams are over, I can think again of what to do about Shouto._

Naruto pushed her noodles back and forth, blue eyes fixating on her blurred reflection on her miso ramen. There had been no problems with the normal subjects and she was certain she passed all of the subjects. _I should also focus on All Might's exam but if it is robots then I'm fine._ Maybe it was cocky of her to be so confident but she was a kunoichi.

The chair shuffled backwards and the blue-eyed girl looked away from her ramen. Naruto blinked at the sight of a frowning Nejire taking a seat right across her. Blue eyes shone with concern as if she recognized that something was on her mind. Impossible. Her friend did not have a Quirk that allowed her to read minds or emotions.

"What are you thinking about, Naru-chan? I have never seen you so distracted." The concern leaking out of Nejire's voice made it impossible for her to deny her distraction. Not that she could. _It is obvious I'm distracted when I can't even finish my first bowl of ramen._ She slumped her shoulders and gazed at her concern friend.

Should she just tell her of what happened with Shouto? But Nejire might scold her for now deciding to focus on what Shouto told her instead on her practical exam. _It has been a damn struggle for me to focus on the exams when I know now that he likes me._ Every time she hit the books, she would always remember the intensity of his eyes and the frustration in his tone as he said:

"_It is obvious I like you."_

Yup, it was a good idea for her to talk about it.

"Shouto confessed to me without even realizing it," Naruto finally answered. Her friend blinked and then a smile graced her lips. _Did she know he likes me?_ The smile made it seem like she knew but why didn't she hint at her? She knitted her eyebrows and then blinked when the memory of the dress-shopping flashed before her eyes.

"_I thought Todoroki-san would like to see you in a dress."_

That should have been her hint and Naruto hung her head. It would be easy for her to blame Nejire for not telling her but her friend was not a bad person. _She probably thought that this was between us._ She inhaled and exhaled before relaxing her shoulders as her friend's eyes continued to inspect her.

"You don't seem happy about it," Nejire commented with a frown. The periwinkle-haired girl knitted her eyebrows together and tilted her head at her like she could not understand it. "Do you not have the same feelings for him?"

Naruto steadied her arms as her eyes took in her soup. _I like him in the same way._ The words were on the tip of her mouth, just ready for her to spill to her friend but she swallowed it down. Yes, she like Shouto Todoroki. When did her feelings for him change from friendship to _this_ she did not know. What she did know was that whenever her eyes flickered to him, her heart raced like it was one of those missiles on television.

Like now. Even though she wanted to throttle him for his confession, her eyes would always find a way to look at him. She could spend days watching him and maybe that should have been a sign to her. _I keep teasing him for being dense but he figured out his feelings before me._ Her lips curled into a smile before fading into a frown.

But why did he have to confuse her? No one could have figured out from his description that it had been her.

"I _really _like Shouto," Naruto finally admitted with flushed cheeks. It felt juvenile of her to say those words out loud but it felt like a huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders. It had been one thing to say it to Jiraiya but another thing to say it to another girl. _It feels less like a dream._ She flickered her eyes to Shouto.

The mismatch boy sat with Izuku and the others, eating quietly as the people around him probably discussed the next portion of their exams. His eyes looked so focused that Naruto found her lips twitching into a smile. _I wonder what else he can focus on._ During their studying, she noticed he had a habit of picking up details that she missed.

He was always so intense when it came to everything. _Even when I think about it, I have to wonder what would happen if he kissed me back that day._ Her throat dried up and Naruto picked up her drink. Would it have been slow? Rough? She would never know. But she could find out again since he liked her back.

But she did want to go back to teasing him again and try to see how far his patience could go. _I wanna see if I could get him to confess without doing it unaware._ Her lips curled into a smile when Shouto stared at her. His eyes traced her, looking at her like he was trying to memorize every feature on her, and she looked away from him.

"Then what is the problem? You don't seem to have a problem flirting with him," Nejire giggled. Naruto felt her cheeks burned at the comment and her eyes flickered to Shouto. His mismatch eyes lingered on her before looking away from her. If it was not for the ends of his ears burning red, she would have never thought he was still staring at her.

It was adorable if you asked her.

"He confessed to me without even realizing it," Naruto explained, puffing her cheeks. Nejire stared at her for a good couple of seconds before flickering her eyes to Shouto and then looking back at her. _Is it that hard to belief?_ The way her friend raised her eyebrows at her made it seem that way. "This whole time he made me think he had feelings for someone else."

A giggle escaped from Nejire's lips and the whiskered girl raised her eyebrows at her. Didn't she understand her pain? This whole time her heart ached and throbbed for no reason. All those urges that she held back had been for no reason. _Now I have to rewire myself again._ She groaned before rubbing the back of her neck.

"Naru-chan, I don't know Todoroki-san as well as you do but I figured out he likes you without him even vocalizing it," Nejire finally said with a small giggle. She blinked when her friend picked up her chopsticks. "I doubt Todoroki-san is fully aware of vocalizing his feelings to a person let alone you."

_I know he can't vocalize all his feelings._ Naruto tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and snuck a glance at Shouto. He was smart and very good-looking but she couldn't deny he was clueless when it came to emotions. It was an adorable trait about him alongside the fact that he was too caring for his own good.

But he was getting better at vocalizing his emotions because the way he talked about her made her heart flutter. _Although I don't agree with everything that he said._ She curled her lips into a pout as her eyes landed back on Nejire. Her friend shook her head and began to eat her plate of rice and chicken curry.

"I know he isn't that kind of guy but the way he described me did not sound anything like me," she explained. Her hand wandered to her back and the blonde fought off the shiver that coursed through her as she recalled the incident in the hospital. "He described me as being kind and that I have a terrible habit of keeping things to myself and that I act like I don't need anyone…how the hell does that sound like me?"

Nejire raised a single eyebrow and shook her head as if she did not know what to tell her. Naruto pouted. There was nothing about her in that description that had been nice. _But he did say that I'm perfect in his eyes._ No one ever described her as being perfect. There was always something about her that they wanted to change about her.

Be more sensitive and act more like a lady had been something Sakura-chan would yell at her whenever she made a joke or two with Kiba. _You look amazing_. When Shouto looked at her in that dress, he stared at her like she hung the stars in the night sky. Had anyone ever look at her in that way before? She did not know and she did not care.

"It sounds a lot like you," Nejire observed. The older girl picked up her chopsticks and her eyes flickered to Shouto as if she was trying to figure the boy out. Naruto took a sip of her soda as her friend continued to inspect Shouto. "And I don't think Todoroki-san with telling you that he likes you directly. But the fact he went that far to talk about his feelings speak volumes to you, doesn't it?"

Naruto exhaled. _It does speak volumes to me._ Shouto kept his emotions bottled up until it reached a point that it would explode to a volcano. The fact he told her this much about his feelings spoke of his trust in her and the level that he had been willing to go for her. She poked her tongue against her cheeks. It was sweet of him.

Her heart also fluttered at the knowledge but Naruto did wish the boy would have made it even clearer to her. _I wouldn't have protested if he kiss me._ She probably would have continued their kiss from that time except Naruto did know she might need some self-control. She did not know about Shouto but she could be very touchy-feely at times.

It was something Sakura-chan hated about her.

"He should have been aware when he told me that he likes me," Naruto muttered. She kept her tone calm and collected as her blue eyes darted to the mismatch boy. "If I didn't know he had been unaware of his confession to me then I would have done something impulsive like kiss him in the damn bookstore."

Nejire coughed at her words and her eyes twinkled with amusement. _It wouldn't be the first time I kiss him because I was being impulsive._ When he told her that she was the one he liked, she wanted to kiss him. But his eyes looked unaware and Naruto did not want to make the same mistakes again.

There was also the fact that they were in public.

"Naru-chan, it isn't easy to confess to someone even if the movies make it seem easy," Nejire said softly. The whiskered girl looked away from Shouto and focused her attention on her friend. Blue eyes looked so soft that Naruto was instantly reminded of how her friend tried to confess to Amajiki. "And for someone as reserve as Todoroki-san, it is even harder. He was probably scared you might reject him."

_But why would I reject him? He will be the best thing that ever happen to me._ It sounded too sweet for her taste and Naruto swallowed down the words. She guessed it was understandable why he would be terrified. When she kissed him that time, she told him that she did it because she had been impulsive. It would give him the idea that she might not like him.

_My impulsive behavior bit me in the ass, didn't it?_

"There is also the fact that he doesn't know how you feel about him," her friend continued. Naruto slumped her shoulders while Nejire balanced the chopsticks on the top of her lip. "You need to start complimenting him more and just flirt with him the way you used to flirt with him…_except be a little bit more private this time around?_"

Naruto groaned and Nejire giggled.

* * *

"What did you talk about with Hadou?"

Naruto tore her eyes away from their teachers, who huddled together in a circle, and focused her attention on Shouto. Her friend looked down at her with eyebrows knitted together and mismatch eyes burning with a curiosity that brought a smile to her lips. If it was not for Nejire's advice, she might have decided to just evade the topic.

But she saw an opportunity with his intense desire to know about what happened with Nejire. _I'm a kunoichi and I told Hinata-chan if you like someone then you flirt and tease them._ She linked their arms together, pulling his arm closer to her chest. Her lips twitched into a tiny, innocent smile when Shouto flickered his eyes from his arm to her breasts.

He made no attempt to remove his arm from her.

"It is a secret, _Homeostasis,_" she replied. Naruto kept her tone calm and steady even though her own heart raced a thousand miles at the little physical contact that she managed to steal from him. Her blue eyes darted upwards to focus on his eyes. "You have to _offer_ me something in return if you want me to tell you."

_A date would be good and a kiss would be even better._ She wanted to show him just how much she liked him but it would be boring if she just told him what she wanted. Her lips curled into a wider smile when mismatch eyes darkened at her words. It was dangerous for him to make it obvious to everyone. She should bring him back to reality but Naruto wanted to know what her friend planned to offer her.

Would he have the courage and offer her to take her to the movies? Or offer her a chance to have dinner with him where there weren't a lot of people? She doubt it. Shouto was very naïve when it came to desires. He was going to offer to take her to a place that would make it hard for him to show his intentions with her.

"I will buy you ramen."

_Now that is really tempting._ Her pink tongue crept out of her lips as images of hundreds of bowls of ramen flashed before her eyes. Dear god. Just the imaginary scent of that salty goodness was enough for saliva to leak out of her mouth. _Another time._ She rubbed the saliva off from the corner of her lips and flickered her eyes to Shouto.

If she did not know about his feelings towards her then that would have been enough for her. But Shouto was clearly doing a bad job of making it very clear to her. She curled her lips into a smile as an idea formed in her mind. _Kenji did say I'm allowed to use his dojo anytime._ That solidified her plans and the blonde tiptoed till her lips were close enough to kiss his ear.

"Not good enough offer, Homeostasis," Naruto whispered into his ear. His musky cologne enveloped her nose and without a second thought she sniffed him again. Mismatch eyes darted to her and the blonde offered him a small smile. "You have to offer me something even better if you want me to spill my conversation with Nejire."

Shouto knitted his eyebrows and looked down at her. His mismatch eyes stared at her like he was deeply trying to figure out what would be a better offer to her than ramen. Only one thing came to her mind. _A date in a quiet place._ Ramen stands would never allow her to get closer to him and all of her energy would be on her food.

Her fingers went up to her lips as a smile played on her lips. What could the boy think of? Would he be smart and ask her for her to eat in a quiet place? Would he figure out the double meaning behind her words? She shivered at the idea and looked away from him. Her eyes locked onto Ashido and Kaminari.

Both of her classmates had their arms linked together as they screamed out their happiness for the summer training camp. She shifted her eyes to Bakugou. The blond-haired boy glared at her. No. He did not glare _at_ her but at her linked arms with Shouto. What the hell was his problem? It was not like she was doing anything wrong. Their conversation was very much innocent.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Shouto asked. His eyes burned with curiosity and flickered between her eyes to her lips. _I can't believe I didn't notice this before._ She smiled even wider at the knowledge as she tilted her head, pretending to muse over what she wanted. It was clear to her that she would have to push him to make his intentions clear to her.

_I mean I could kiss him again after we are done with a ramen stand but I want to give him the chance to express himself._ She unlinked their arms and clasped her hands behind her back as her blue eyes twinkled with a mock innocence. Shouto eyed her with his eyes flashing with suspicion. Did he figure it out? The lack of reaction on his face spoke volumes of how he still had no clue of her plans.

"I want to have a good old-fashion spar," Naruto declared with a bright smile. Shouto blinked while the blonde tilted her head at him. _I'm not going to give him any hints._ She smiled even wider. "Did you forget you ask me to train you in hand-to-hand combat?"

Shouto blinked and jerked his head at her. _What are you up to? Why are you reminding me now?_ That was what she got from the way his eyes looked down at her. Well he was probably going to thank her for her plans. It would bring them closer both emotionally and physically too. Sometimes fighting could convey everything that words could not convey.

"We aren't going to be having a spar in my home," Shouto informed her. His eyes focused on her hair and his hand tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears. She shivered. Not from his tone but because the coldness leaking out of that hand burned her. It left a mark that she wanted to feel even more.

"Who says anything about homes?" Naruto asked, keeping her tone steady. This was a good idea for them. Shouto and her sparring and being alone in that dojo on Sunday was way better than the idea of having ramen. "We will use my uncle's dojo on Sunday."

Shouto blinked and nodded. _This is probably the closest thing that I can get as a proper date._ She sighed at the thought. It was underhanded of her to do this but the fact he had been the first one to figure out his feelings, made her decide that he should go first. If he could focus during their fight and not do anything then she would take in the reigns.

"I'm still buying you ramen after we are done with this exam," Shouto said. Naruto jerked her head at him and the boy looked down at her. His eyes dared her to argue against his offer and the blonde grinned. If he was offering to buy her ramen as a celebration for passing the exams then she would be an idiot to say no.

"Just you and me?" Naruto asked.

The boy nodded and the blonde hugged him. Those mismatch eyes did not widen at all at the contact and Naruto shivered when his hand patted her back. This was comfortable. Maybe she should not hug him but it showed her that he might not be so dense as to invite other people with them. It meant she would have him all to herself.

After fifty seconds, she removed herself from Shouto and focused her attention on the gates. Now that their plans for the rest of the week had been decided, it was time for her to focus on the exams. With the way that all of their teachers seemed to be lined up, there was a deep sense that maybe their exams were not going to be as easy as Itsuka claimed it would be.

Why were all of the other teachers still here?

"The practical exam is going to begin shortly," Aizawa said, narrowing his eyes at them. He swept his gaze across all of them and his eyes lingered the most on her as if warning her to get her act together. She raised a single eyebrow and glanced at Shouto. Oh? Did he see the little exchange between them? The way he looked at her hinted he saw her interaction with Shouto.

Naruto flushed a light shade of red at this knowledge and straightened her back before clicking her heels together. She saluted Aizawa. Her teacher snorted and shook his head at her, not looking one bit amused by her actions. Well at least she tried to make him smile and show him that she was improving from the beginning of the semester.

There was just no pleasing the man.

"Obviously you can fail this test too," Aizawa reminded them. "So if you want to head to the forest lodge then we would better not see any pitiful blunders from you," he kept his eyes locked on Naruto. "I have no doubt you all learned whatever information you could gather from your seniors or one of your classmates. So I think you have a vague idea of what you are supposed to do."

_"Yup, it is going to be like the entrance exams!"_

_"I can just see the fireworks!"_

"Actually the exams are not quite like that this time around," Aizawa's face was shoved to the side as Principal Nezu popped free of his binding cloth. Naruto just blinked, knitting her eyebrows together at the sight in front of her. The humanoid animal clambered onto Aizawa's shoulder and lowered himself down to the floor. "Due to various reasons, we are changing to contents of the test, starting today!"

Ashido and Kaminari froze at their places. Naruto just scowled while Midoriya began to mutter beneath his breath beside him. Ochako paled.

"What do you mean?" Yaoyorozu asked.

Their principal locked their eyes on Naruto and swept across the various students. "Due to various reasons, we will focus our tests more on person-on-person battle activities and we are going to emphasize a teaching environment closer to the real battle."

"We will have you form pairs," Nezu waved his hands to the lined up of teachers. "You will engage in combat with one of these teachers."

Uraraka flinched, eyes skimming over the teachers warily. "Against the teachers?"

"Your pairings and the teacher you will be fighting have already been decided," Aizawa explained calmly. "The way you tend to move, your grades and your degree of familiarity, all of these factors have been all taken into account with the pairings."

Naruto glanced at Shouto, noticing the way his eyebrows knitted together as he looked at their classmates. She frowned and took in the number of students in the class. _If we are doing in pairs then are we going to have one group of three? Who would they put in a group of three this time?_ Most of the time when they had group exercises, she was always with Yaoyorozu and Mineta.

For once in her school life, could she not be placed in group of three but a group of two?

"For starters," Aizawa said, tugging at his cloth. "Todoroki is with Yaoyorozu. You are going to be trying to take me down."

_Aizawa-sensei might be Shouto's worst match._ Naruto flickered her eyes to her friend and offered him a tiny smile. Shouto barely smiled, only knitting his eyebrows like he was deep in thought. Yaoyorozu seemed to be thoughtful as well, rubbing her chin as if also making a plan.

The only question was for Naruto, could they communicate?

"Midoriya," Aizawa continued. Midoriya stood beside Naruto and the blonde flickered her eyes to her friend. He shot his head up and fingers curled into a fist at his side. "You are with Bakugou and Uzumaki."

The three students stiffened. Midoriya began to sweat while Bakugou twisted his face into a scowl, looking not at all pleased about the match up. Naruto just had a tight smile playing on her lips, hands clenching into a fist.

"Why did they put the three of us together?" Naruto muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. Their behaviour to each other was good, although things had been tensed between her and Bakugou since Naruto admitted to being a kunoichi to them. But could Aizawa see it? Because she kept acting like her usual self around them.

But with the way Bakugou was glaring at her and Midoriya like they were the enemy, she doubt Aizawa believed everything was right between the three of them. Maybe this was his insane idea of making them friends again, to mend the bridges but this was an insane idea.

Because for them to work as a team, all three of them would have to be willing to work together and that glare from Bakugou told her of his intention of being a pain up their necks.

"Your opponent…" Aizawa continued, snapping Naruto from her train of thought.

The ground rumbled. A bright, loud laugh pierced the air and colours flashed before all of them as a familiar, hulking figure landed before them. Naruto pressed her lips together, looking torn between smiling widely at the sight of All Might or to poke her ears against her head and tell the man to stop laughing so loud.

"You will be going against me!" All Might's hand curled tight into a fist. "The three of you have to work together to win, so come at me with everything you got."

_It will be a miracle if all three of us can work together._

That was the only thought going through Naruto's mind.

* * *

**A/N: So Naruto is planning something and Nejire once again helped Naruto with understanding Todoroki. Also if the latter half seems to have not the same writing style as the other part of the chapter then it is because I copied it from the previous version of this chapter. Now here are a couple of questions:**

**Question 1: Do you think Minato was as selfish as Mitsuki believed he was?**

**Question 2: Do you think Naruto's impulsive behavior is her downfall when it comes to her relationship with Todoroki?**

**Question 3: Do you like the pace of Naruto's relationship with Todoroki? Or do you wish they move things along quicker? **

**Please tell me of your thoughts about this chapter and also do tell me if you think that it might be a good idea to place an announcement in the older Guardian stories that Revelation is back up. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

**(Three and half years ago)**

"_Did you ever stop to think for one minute why you were placed into teams?"_

Kakashi glared at Sakura and her as he squashed Sasuke down to the ground. His single, visible dark eye stared at the three of them like they were a bunch of idiots. She did not know about Sakura but she certainly felt like an idiot with the way their teacher tied her up against the tree stump. Why the hell did he singled her out for trying to eat? It was his fault.

If he hadn't tricked them to skip breakfast then she wouldn't have tried to have a meal.

_Was there a point for the Hokage and Iruka-sensei to put us in groups?_ Naruto rubbed her wrists together and knitted her eyebrows as Kakashi continued to glare at them. She wanted to tell him that they were being jerks and making life harder but the words were stuck in her mouth. She knew the Hokage and Iruka-sensei. They might be jerks at times but they always had a reason for their actions.

Curling her lips into a small frown, Naruto darted her eyes to Sakura. The pink-haired girl also knitted her eyebrows together into one thin line and sweat dribbled down the side of her face before crashing down to the ground. Great, even the second-smartest person in their class did not know. She flickered her eyes to Sasuke and felt her lips twitched when Sasuke tried to look up at Kakashi.

It was not the time to laugh but it felt good to see the Asshole being manhandled for once in his life.

Minutes passed before Sakura asked, _"What do you mean?"_

Their teacher does not answer them immediately, instead he pushed Sasuke further down to the ground. His foot dug deeper on Sasuke's back and for a brief moment the whiskered girl believed that there would be a mark on his back. "You obviously missed the point of the exercise if you asked me this question."

Naruto stopped wiggling and jerked her head at Kakashi. His single black eye gleamed with irritation as if he thought that the answer to the question was obvious. If it was that obvious then they wouldn't be in this mess. The blonde clenched her jaws and darted her eyes to Sasuke, who looked at her.

_Do you have any clue what the answer is?_ That was what Sasuke's eyes asked her and Naruto shook her head. If she knew the answer then she would just spill it to him. But right now it felt like she was lost inside of a maze and the only person who could even give her a clue of how to get through the maze that was their exam, was Kakashi.

"_So this whole exam had a point?"_ Naruto repeated. The sunshine intensified, burning through her skin as Kakashi looked at her like _she_ was the idiot for not figuring it out quickly. She squinted and threw a glare at the sun. If only she could move her hands to cover the glare of the sun or even wipe away the sweat dripping down the side of her face.

"_Of course there was a point and that point determines whether you will pass or not,_" Kakashi replied. He sighed and rubbed the side of his chin, shifting his eyes back at her. Disappointment shone through his eyes as if he expected her to know the answer to the whole exercise. Naruto frowned. Why would he expect her to know? He insulted her earlier, calling her the Dead last.

Anyone else would have directed such looks to either Sasuke or Sakura…not to _her_.

"_You haven't explained what it is,"_ Sakura replied, frowning at Kakashi. Her green eyes shifted to her and for the first time in years, the pink-haired girl didn't look at her with irritation. Hope and desperation shone through those green eyes as if she was her teammate's final hope of figuring out what that point was.

_Wait a second…teammate._ Naruto groaned and banged her head against the pole, earning widened eyes from both Sakura and Sasuke and curious eyes from Kakashi. The three of them were idiots. Iruka called them Team Seven. Teams worked together and none of them worked together to take those bells from the silver-haired man.

From the very beginning, she knew it would have been a smarter idea for her to go to Sakura and Sasuke for help but that meant trusting them. Sasuke betrayed her trust when they had been kids while Sakura hurt her the other day. Going to either of them meant swallowing her pride but she would have swallowed her pride if it meant becoming a kunoichi.

"_It looks like the Deadlast figure it out before the Rookie of the Year and the girl with the top theoretical scores,"_ Kakashi taunted. Sasuke bristled while Sakura glared at the male. Was it for implying Sasuke for being slower than her? Or for implying that _she_ was dumber than her? Naruto couldn't be certain but she did know it felt good for a teacher not to insult her intelligence. "_Mind telling them, Blonde."_

The blonde growled. "_Don't call me Blonde and don't call me Deadlast!"_

"_It is your scores in the Academy that made me dub you Deadlast unless you have a reason I shouldn't call you that,"_ Kakashi commented. He looked at her like he knew that she wasn't the deadlast because she was slow, but because she had no reason to show her brains to anyone. His eye moved from her blond hair to her bright blue eyes. _"Mind telling them what is the point of the whole exercise?"_

"_Teamwork,"_ Naruto replied, throwing a glare at Kakashi. _"Teams worked together and that is why we were grouped into teams."_

Black eyes widened while Sakura looked at her with shock.

"_Exactly,"_ Kakashi said cheerfully as he shoved Sasuke to the side. The black-haired teen winced while the silver-haired man bobbed his head at them. "_If the three of you had came together then maybe __**one**__ of you could have taken the bell."_

Even though they passed their second Genin Exam, their teacher would never let them forget how they had been so close to losing their chance of becoming shinobi. He reminded them whenever they complained about the teamwork exercise he forced them to do or whenever she begged him to teach her some cool jutsu.

Kakashi-sensei may not have taught her or Sakura any cool jutsu, but he drilled into their heads of the importance of teamwork.

_When it came for her exams in Yuuei High, it was Kakashi's teachings that Naruto took to heart. Aizawa-sensei may have taught her the importance of taking care of herself but it was Kakashi that made her realize the importance of teamwork._

* * *

_"Team Kirishima and Satou—Fail!"_

Naruto frowned as the words from the speaker echoed throughout the joint pathway leading to the various training ground. No one else walked or sat in the pathway, leaving her alone to consider everything. A part of her knew she should be with Recovery Girl and watched her classmates as they do their best to pass the exam. But her arms trembled and it would show everyone that she wasn't certain of passings their exam.

Yaoyorozu and Tsuyus would tell her that it was normal. All Might was the best hero in the whole world and going against him was a big deal. Naruto exhaled and smoothed the wrinkles of her hero outfit. All Might was powerful. Maybe not as powerful as Ero-Sennin but the man was still powerful. Maybe powerful enough to avoid her punch since Jiraiya effortlessly avoid her punches.

"_Team Asui and Tokoyami—Begin!"_

The whiskered teen curled her lips into a smile and cracked her knuckles together. The cracked echoed throughout the pathway and Naruto looked up at the ceiling. Whenever the teachers had to pair up students for teamwork exercise, Asui and Tokoyami were always paired together. The two of them worked well together when Naruto thought about it. Their teamwork was flawless.

The same could never be said for her, Bakugou and Midoriya.

Naruto grimaced, rubbed her shoulder and took a seat on the ground. Between her two classmates, Midoriya might be easy for her to work with then her explosive classmate. But only if he was willing to look her in the eye instead of looking everywhere but her eyes. He was so terrified of her. He still looked at her like she betrayed him.

Bakugou was even worse. He glared at her and looked at her like she was in the wrong for not telling them about being a kunoichi or even about being a jinchuuriki. But when was it a good time? Not even her own teammates knew about the Kyuubi. Hinata didn't even know about the beast inside of her and that was her best friend.

_We need to fix this issue between us._ Naruto cracked her knuckles and bit her finger. As long as the issue loomed over them like a dark cloud, the three of them weren't going to pass the exam. She wasn't completely stupid. They needed each other in order to pass this exam. If the three of them wanted to have fun in the summer lodge then they needed to work together.

"_If the three of you had worked together then maybe one of you might have been able to take the bells."_

Kakashi's words echoed in her ears as her eyes looked blankly at the wall. She always thought that if she had ever went back in time, she would have taken his advice and changed her attitude towards Sasuke and Sakura. But she couldn't go back in time and this exam was like her second chance. It was her chance to take the jounin's words to heart.

When Iruka-sensei paired her team together, he paired them up to cover their weaknesses. Sasuke had been in the top of the class while Sakura had been in the middle of the class and she had been in the bottom. In theory, their strengths covered each other weaknesses but it never felt that way. They wasted more time protecting Sakura instead of accomplishing their mission.

But what was the point of Aizawa pairing her with Bakugou and Midoriya? In terms of mid-term placement, the three of them were close to the top of the class. The three of them were strong and good in strategy. Hell between the three of them, Midoriya was probably the best strategist. He probably spent his whole life studying All Might's strength and probably had a plan.

_He is our best chance._ Naruto looked down at her hand and groaned. God, why did she have to mess things up? Why did she waste so much time with letting them process everything? Right now time wasn't by their side. If Aizawa-sensei hadn't grouped together then it would be okay for her to leave them to process everything.

They needed to communicate and worked together if they wanted to pass.

"Naruto."

The blue-eyed teen looked away from the wall and swirled her head at Shouto, blue eyes widening at the sight of him standing right beside her. Mismatch eyes locked onto her and concern leaked out of them. He eyed the empty spot beside her and the blonde patted the empty spot. He nodded and took a seat right beside her.

Even though her eyes fixated on the wall, Naruto could feel the concern coming out of his eyes. Her throat tightened and the blonde forced herself to exhale. It was nice of him to worry about her. _But he always worry about me._ Even in the hospital he had been more focused on her then himself. Her wound hadn't even been that severed and the boy fretted over her.

"You shouldn't worry about me," Naruto finally said. She doesn't bother to plaster on a fake smile on her lips and instead chose to put her head against his shoulder. Mismatch eyes darted to her, looking almost taken back and the blonde wondered if it was too soon for her to do this. She lifted her head and Shouto gently pushed it back down, as if telling her that he didn't mind the contact. "You should worry about yourself."

_Aizawa-sensei can cancel your Quirk. _Those words didn't need to be said, not when Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line. Between the two of them, he used his Kekkei Genkei the most. Chakra couldn't be cancelled by Aizawa-sensei but Kekkei Genkei could be cancelled. If their teacher cancelled it then Shouto was in trouble.

"I have a plan," Shouto reassured her. His voice was calm and soft as his hand hovered around her head. Heat radiated from his hand and the blonde curled her lips into a smile before putting the boy's hand on her head. If he wanted to pat her head then it was fine. It would be nice. A content sigh escaped from her lips as the male stroke her hair.

Even though her shoulder were now relaxed against the wall, Naruto felt a tickle of worry creeping up in her stomach. Shouto was a lot of things but a team player he was not. _I have a plan_ implied the male did not consult Yaoyorozu over the plan. No, she knew he didn't tell the vice-president about the plan.

"You didn't tell Yaoyorozu, did you?" Naruto asked. She swirled her head at him and fixated her blue eyes on him. The two of them sat so close together that she could now see that one of his eyes held a little hint of green. Surprise leaked out of his eyes and the boy paused as if he wasn't certain about what to tell her.

She didn't need him to answer her because the pause told her everything.

"Shouto, you need to tell her about the plan," she informed him. The blonde twisted her whole body around and leaned her body forward, forcing him against the wall. Mismatch eyes looked down at her with knitted eyebrows and Naruto puffed her cheeks. "Don't look confuse. Communication is key when it comes to teamwork and not telling Yaoyorozu means you don't value her opinion."

"Yaoyorozu wouldn't think like that," Shouto said. His eyes darted downwards and Naruto felt her lips twitched when the boy quickly looked back up to her eyes. _I really was an idiot for not realizing it earlier._ She allowed her legs to rest on top of his own legs and the younger boy blinked but didn't protest at the position of her legs.

Naruto looked at him. "Shouto, you aren't the only one in the team and if you want to pass the exam then you need to rely on her. Yaoyorozu doesn't know you as well as I do and she definitely cannot read your mind, so you need to clue her in on your plan."

The mismatch-haired boy regarded her for a long time with blank eyes. The fact he knitted his eyebrows together and stroke his chin told her that he was considering whether to take her advise or not. If he knew what was good for him, he would tell the girl about the plan. Shouto was smart but he couldn't rely on himself.

"If we are talking about teamwork then you are the one with the problem," Shouto commented quietly. His eyes locked onto her and Naruto raised her shoulders at the reminder. Yeah. It was obvious to everyone with eyes that she had the biggest problem. Not even the younger boy rubbing her lower leg could offer her any comfort. "Midoriya and Bakugou are still avoiding you."

"I fucked up," Naruto admitted. Her crush raised a single eyebrow at her as if asking her about how was this her fault and the blonde ran her hand through her hair. "I should have been honest about the whole thing with them from the very beginning. Out of everyone in the class, I was the closest to them besides you."

Shouto looked at her for a long time, mismatch eyes looking conflicted over what to tell her. If he was going to be gentle with her then it would be a nice effort from him but Naruto wouldn't mind if he was blunt with her. He had been blunt in the hospital before and right now she needed him to be blunt with her.

"You should have talked to them earlier about it but it was your secret," Shouto reminded her. The mismatch boy looked down at her and his eyes did not gaze at her with understanding but with empathy. Her throat dried up and the blonde relaxed her shoulders. "You have every right not to talk about it but they knew you the longest."

Naruto looked up at the ceiling. "How do you tell people that you come from a country that is not on the Maps? Or that you have been taught to kill from the age of six? It isn't like there was a guideline for me. I came here because I fucked up my mission. If I hadn't cracked then I wouldn't even be here."

The sentence hung in the air and the blonde waited for Shouto to question her but the male kept quiet. He stroke her legs, almost increasing the temperature of his left hand as if to silently comfort her. She was glad he wasn't going to try and push her about it, only giving her a look that told her that it was up to her to talk about it.

"Everyone fucks up," Shouto reminded her. Blue eyes widened when the boy pushed her head against his chest, allowing her to feel the warmth from his body. For a brief moment, Naruto wondered when her friend had been the type to offer this kind of comfort. "I don't know what your fuck up was but I fucked up when I went in there to rescue Midoriya and Iida. I should have brought backup."

"You could have been killed," Naruto agreed, closing her eyes. She breathed in his spicy scent and relaxed her shoulders, allowing a content sigh to escape her lips when Shouto stroke her hair. "But to be fair there was a huge crisis at the time, but my fucked up was different."

Shouto looked down at her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

_It is about time that I talk about it and I trust Shouto…but now isn't the time._ Blue eyes faded as she recalled the worry in his eyes when he learnt of the shuriken wounds to her back. The wound faded but the one near her heart was still there. A physical reminder of her reckless behavior as the Kyuubi would tell her whenever he felt like coming out to talk.

"After the exams," Naruto answered with a sad smile playing on her lips. "I will explain why not bringing back Sasuke really messed me up and why your words that day made me like a baby."

Shouto hummed and offered her a small smile. "You were a cute crying baby even if your tears did stain my shirt."

Blue eyes widened at the compliment as the boy looked at her with a seriousness that made her throat dry up. _If it wasn't for that unintentional confession then I would take it as him trying to learn how to comfort his crush._ But she knew better now. Shouto was blunt. He probably did find her crying to be like a cute baby and that knowledge made her smile.

"You are getting better at giving compliments," Naruto teased with a wide smile playing on her lips. "Homeostasis, if you keep giving me compliments and I will be sure to _reward_ you for those compliments."

The boy only flushed a light shade of red and Naruto laughed.

* * *

"_I thought I would find you here."_

Naruto sighed and folded her arms against her chest as Midoriya tore his eyes away from the monitor. It had been a couple of minutes since Shouto left her. The boy finally made up his mind and decided to go and see Yaoyorozu to discuss over his plans. With her friend gone, there had been no other option but for her to look for Midoriya. Between her two teammates, Midoriya seemed like the easier problem to fix.

"Uzumaki, y-you were searching for me?" Midoriya asked. He blinked and took a step backwards, green eyes widening as the blond-haired girl took a step forward. A quick glance at the monitor showed Asui and Tokoyami were still battling their math teacher. Could those two escape from the teacher? Was it even possible for them to handcuff their teacher?

"Yup," Naruto answered. She pulled out the crystal gem necklace Tsunade gifted her for winning their special bet. Her fingers traced the smooth edges as green eyes continued to look at her with nervous energy. Maybe if she stroke the necklace hard enough then she could muster the same reckless courage she had as a kid.

The black-haired boy frowned. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Because we need to talk about why I didn't tell you about the truth about me since you and Bakugou are acting like a bunch of babies when it came to the matter," Naruto replied. She slid the necklace back under her dress and locked eyes with the green-eyed boy. "And once I'm done explaining everything then hopefully we can talk about the second reason that I decided to look for one of the smartest guys I know."

Midoriya blinked and flushed a light shade of red at her words, reminding the blonde of how the boy didn't receive many compliments during their time in school. It was better now. The students praised him when it came to his Quirk and no one really bullied him anymore. Even the snide comments from Bakugou faded.

"I wasn't acting like a baby," the boy protested.

Naruto scoffed. "You have been avoiding me ever since you found out the truth about me and I have been acting like a coward too…so we are both at fault for not communicating about everything."

_I could have at least admitted about being a kunoichi._ The blonde slumped against the wall as Midoriya stared at her. As long as Hinata had been in the dark about her being a jinchuuriki, it was not fair for anyone else to know. Her best friend deserved better than anyone to know about the beast inside of her stomach.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Izuku finally asked. He strolled and stood right beside her, green eyes focused on her before moving to the monitor screen. "Todoroki-kun didn't give me a clear reason but I thought you trusted Kacchan and me. Have we ever gave you a reason not to trust us? I know it was your secret to tell but I just want to understand."

Naruto inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down her racing heart. Telling Izuku and Bakugou about the reason was her first step of opening up to someone who wasn't Nejire or even Shouto. This was her first step of letting more people in her life. _I want to heal and I can't be a coward for the rest of my life._ The reminder allowed her to relax her arms.

"How do you tell someone that you are a kunoichi?" Naruto asked with a tiny smile. Her blue eyes darted down to her hands and a grimace played on her lips as she recalled how she strained her hands with blood. "If you go to my part of the world, you don't need to think about it. You just have to show your Hitai-ate and that is your answer. But telling you guys? There was never a good time or even a reason."

Midoriya looked at her for a long time like he was deeply considering her words. Would he believe her? She hoped so. That was the most honest answer she could give him. If she told him that she thought she was done with that life then it felt like a lie now. Until the Akatsuki were done or unless she could get the council by her side, she wasn't done with them.

"And the Jinchuuriki thing?"

Naruto exhaled and looked up at the ceiling.

"I haven't even told my best friend about it," the whiskered teen admitted. Green eyes widened and the girl regarded him with a bitter smile playing on her lips. "You don't have an easy life as a Jinchuuriki. When Hibiki told you that we have difficult childhoods, he isn't kidding. Half of my own issues stem from my childhood. I have been treated unfairly because of the beast inside of me…I was afraid of how you would react."

Midoriya looked at her for a long time and his green eyes softened. The male slid against the wall and looked at the monitor for a good couple of seconds before flickering his eyes at her. He didn't say anything or made any comment about her decision. He looked at her for a good couple of seconds before relaxing his shoulder.

"Kacchan and me didn't help, did we?" Midoriya finally asked with a nervous smile and the blonde blinked. "Instead of being supportive and showing that we care about you…we just made the whole thing worse for you. I know it isn't easy to be discriminated for something that you have no control over. It feels like the whole world is against you and it hurts…it really hurts."

Naruto nodded and folded her legs together.

"They make you play a role that you don't want to play," she agreed, pulling out her necklace. "When you were Quirkless, there was always the idea that you are weak when you could be strong. When you are a Jinchuuriki, they make you feel like the very monster that they are terrified of and no matter how much you cry and scream…no one listens. They just turn the other way. They don't ever stop to think that you are human."

It felt good to talk about it with someone who understood what she was talking about. Gaara was good but she couldn't talk to him everyday and he had other issues to deal with. Shouto was good too and she knew he would try to understand too but he could never fully understand. Midoriya was probably the best person to understand her problem.

"We are all human, aren't we?" Izuku commented, looking thoughtful. She hummed and nodded before rubbing the back of her neck. "I know why you came here but why did you even decide to be a hero? I mean you have a job as a kunoichi, so why did you decide on this path."

_Because being a kunoichi means bottling up my emotions and turning a blind eye to injustice in the world._ The words were on the tip of her tongue and Naruto paused. There was still injustice here too. People were judged by their income, quirks, age, religion and even their race but the heroes turned a blind eye too when she thought about it.

But there was a difference between them when she thought about it.

"Being a kunoichi doesn't mean I can make the world a better place since it depends on the client and even the government," Naruto admitted. She looked at him for a long time before looking down at her own hands. "And being a hero means that there is a chance that I can do some good. Maybe I could make a difference and help kids like me and Gaara….who never really felt accepted by society."

When a person felt like society rejected them then they lashed out and they always ended up making the worse decisions.

Midoriya nodded his head and offered her a smile. "That is a wonderful goal."

"But I can't make that goal a reality if you don't cooperate with me," she informed him. "The first step to pass these exams and for me to do that, I need you to forget about whatever issue you have with me."

Midoriya looked at her for a couple of seconds before looking at the clock. He ran his hand through his hair, telling her that the boy was nervous about something. Was he really going to tell her that they couldn't work together? Maybe she had been wrong into thinking that apologizing and explaining herself had been a good idea.

"I'm not the problem," he informed her. Midoriya grimaced and flickered his eyes to the monitor before looking back at her. "Even if the both of us work together, it won't make Kacchan work with us. When I tried to talk to him about making a plan, he refused to hear what I have to say. He made it clear to me that he won't work with either of us."

"Let me deal with him," Naruto informed him. "I think I know what to do, just tell me where I can find him."

If his best friend couldn't talk some sense into him then Naruto would be the maelstorm that would reason with him.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here, Whiskers? I thought you would be trying to cuddle with IcyHot."

Naruto clenched her jaws together and balled her hands into a fist as she tried to fought off the blush that threatened to consume her as red eyes glared at her. Bakugou sat on the steps leading down to the joint pathways that would eventually lead them to their training site. She took several deep breath, reminding herself not to throttle him.

If it was anyone else, she would accuse him of being jealous but Bakugou would never be jealous of her friendship with Shouto. Kaminari might claim the boy liked her in that way but something inside of her was nagging her that there was something else between them. Something that made it weird for him to like her in that way.

"I want to talk to you." Naruto admitted, leaning against the wall.

Bakugou grunted and stood up from the steps. "Then I'm leaving, Whiskers."

"We need to talk, Blasty and we can't talk if you are acting like a baby." Naruto grumbled, folding her arms against her chest. From the distance, she could hear the loudspeakers announcing that it was time for Shouto and Yaoyorozu to start their match against Aizawa-sensei.

A part of her wanted to watch the match and cheer her friends on, but her concern for passing this exam exceeded any desire to cheer for them.

Midoriya tried and failed to talk some sense into Bakugou but Naruto knew Midoriya still carried a lingering sense of fear around Bakugou.

She didn't have that fear.

"I'm not acting like a baby," Bakugou snapped, giving her the middle finger. "And I'm not talking shit with you."

Naruto's eyebrows twitched. _Don't punch him._ She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to reign in the growing temper that seemed to ready to erupt at those words. The moment her knuckles touched Bakugou's face, the teachers would fail them. It was not like they were in the exam site and maybe had some right. They were outside the exam site, waiting for their turn.

"Are you terrified to talk to me? Scared that you might get cooties?" Bakugou froze at her words, eyebrows twitching and shoulders trembling at her words. Naruto smiled, looking almost like a pleased little fox for stopping her classmate from walking away from her. The moment she hurt his pride was the moment Blasty was willing to listen to her. He was predictable in that sense.

"What do you want to talk about, Whiskers?" The blond-haired boy stomped towards her, only stopping once he was only a few meters away from her. He folded his arms against his chest, lips curled into an even uglier scowl as his red eyes looked down at her blue eyes. For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to falter but then the glare came back on, stronger than ever before.

_Treat him like how Kakashi-sensei used to treat me._

Kakashi-sensei wasn't perfect but he knew how to push her out of her comfort zone, calling her out when she refused to work properly with Sasuke and Sakura.

"Midoriya told me that you have no plans to work together with either of us," Naruto said, slipping her hands into her pockets of her kimono dress. Bakugou did not bother to deny those words, only grunting at her. "Why? What the hell is wrong with you to refuse to work with either of us? You think you're better than us?"

"I don't need either of you to beat All Might," Bakugou declared, narrowing his eyes at her.

Naruto blinked and stared at him for a couple of seconds, trying to process his words. _I don't need you to beat Itachi, Naruto! It's my fight!_ The words of Bakugou was an eerily reminded her of the boy that she considered as a brother. A brother, who refused to acknowledge that she wanted to hurt Itachi for killing the only woman who treated her with so much kindness. She shoved the memory into the back of her mind and grinded her teeth at Bakugou.

She was going to sacrifice her ego to admit this shit to him.

"I never thought of you as an idiot, Blasty." Naruto declared, looking to the sides to where the staircases were before looking back at Bakugou. He puffed his chest, looking pleased at the fact she was willing to admit that she had some faith in his brains. "But you are going to look like the biggest idiot if you decide to fight him without working with either me or Midoriya. No one can a win a fight against an opponent stronger than them by themselves."

Bakugou growled. "I would rather lose and look like an idiot than work with either you or Deku."

"Then you are going to fucking fail the exam, Blasty!"

The blond-haired boy scowled and clenched his fist. "Whiskers—"

She doesn't know what possessed her to tell him this but Naruto believed because she thinks that they were similar to a similar degree. He reminded her of a time when she wanted to be a Hokage. Maybe she hadn't been supportive to him but she was willing to help him and Midoriya reach their dreams.

But she needed him to listen.

"Did you know I nearly lost my chance of becoming a kunoichi?" Bakugou blinked and Naruto gulped, clenching her hands into a fist and taking several deep breaths. For a brief moment, she saw her 12-year-old scowling as Kakashi scolded her for not trusting her teammates. _You can't do things by yourself, Blondie._ She steadied her trembling arms."I had the same thinking process as you."

"You? Until a month ago, you were like a damn robot!" Bakugou grunted. "You expect me to believe that you and me are similar in some way?"

"You saw me at my worst," Naruto reminded him as she looked up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her racing heart that seemed to reflect her nerves. "When I was at my home, I was a cocky little shithead. I thought I could beat my teacher without using my teammates because who needs them? I'm strong enough without them. I trust myself to do the job properly! My teammates? I thought they would fuck it up."

She didn't trust them to listen to her plan and she certainly still felt anger towards Sasuke for pushing her away.

Bakugou stared at her, not making any attempts to walk away from her. His red eyes seemed to be searching for something and the blonde wondered what he could be searching for. If it was vulnerability then he should look somewhere else. What she was telling him wasn't going to make her cry. This shit was her trying to get through to him.

"My decision alongside my teammates decisions nearly ruined our dreams because we never stopped to think of why we were placed in a group of three," Naruto continued, looking into Bakugou's red eyes. _He really does look similar to the sketch Kenji-sensei gave me._ She shook her head. "I didn't figure it out until Kakashi-sensei asked us if we figure out why we placed in teams. He pitted us against each other, trying to see if we would forsake our pride to pass the exams."

A single blond-eyebrow was raised at those words.

"I don't know what were my teammates reason for not forsaking their pride," Naruto lied, shaking her head and staring at her classmate. She took a deep breath. "But I know why I refused to forsake my pride. I didn't trust them to have my back since one of them seemed to care more about spending some alone time with a boy then getting her head straight at the time. The other teammate and me have a complicated relationship."

Bakugou snorted. "And how does this make us similar?"

"The teammate with the complicated relationship is the same relationship that you have with Midoriya." Bakugou blinked and opened his mouth to protest while the blonde looked at the ceiling. "Except I'm the Deku in the relationship and he is my Kacchan. Just like Midoriya, I wanted him to acknowledge me. Midoriya wants you to acknowledge him as your equal and acknowledging him as your equal doesn't mean you are weak. If anything, he pushes you to do better because…that was what _he_ and I did."

They would have continued with that kind of relationship if Orochimaru hadn't ruined everything.

If Itachi had never came back and messed with Sasuke's head like he did.

"Your point?" Bakugou asked, clearing his throat.

"My point is that even the strongest person needs help and acknowledging you need our help to defeat All Might doesn't make you some weak little shit," Naruto declared. "Now unless you are some kind of coward, work with Midoriya and me!"

Bakugou grunted and turned his body away, walking away from her. _Did my words get through to him?_ She hoped it would be enough for him to willing to consider to work with them. She stretched her fingers together, dropping her hand again when Bakugou clicked his heels together and turned his whole head around to look at her.

"Are you fucking coming or not?" Bakugou barked. "I'm going to fucking waste my time working with Deku if you ain't there. He fucking annoys the crap out of me."

Naruto grinned and jogged after the older teen, holding herself back from pumping her fist up in the air.

Whether Bakugou knew it or not, those words gave her some hope that maybe they could pass the exams without any issues. Maybe once they were done with their exams then she could explain her reason for not being honest with him from the very start.

* * *

**A/N: So Todoroki helped comforted Naruto. Izuku finally understands Naruto's reason while Bakugou is willing to work with Naruto and Izuku because Naruto baited him with being a coward. Here are a couple of questions:**

**Q1: How do you think Todoroki will react when he finds out what happened between Naruto and Sasuke?**

**Q2: What do you think of the talk between Izuku and Naruto?**

**Q3: How do you think Bakugou will react when Naruto explains her reasons for not telling him the truth?**

**Please tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the OC mentioned.**

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

**(A month ago)**

"_When it comes to seals, you need to have a mind filled with imagination and creativity."_

Naruto blinked and raised her eyebrows as Kenji tossed the whiteboard marker pen up in the air. Today was her first day of learning seals with Kenji and connecting to the heritage that she didn't know about. But looking at the diagrams and the notes on the board, Naruto wondered if she was in over her head. Those diagrams looked like something from a space program, not something a beginner should know.

"_Why?"_ The whiskered teen questioned, knitting her eyebrows together. She tilted her head at Kenji before darting her eyes to the board. Wasn't intelligence more important? Everyone always talked about how sealing was one of the most difficult shinobi arts. More people knew how to use genjutsu then to make a seal after all.

Kenji looked down at her and rubbed his chin as if he was deeply contemplating of how to explain it to her. It was odd. Kakashi-sensei would get slightly irritated whenever she asked these questions. The man didn't even look at her with irritated eyes, only looking thoughtful of how to answer her question.

He didn't look at her like she was an idiot for asking this question.

"_I can teach you how to make a seal but __**you**__ need to be the one to know how to make sealing work for you,"_ Kenji replied, leaning against the whiteboard. He looked down at her with hazel eyes gleaming with excitement and a smile played on his lips. _"But not many shinobi think like this and you know why? Most shinobi lack creativity and that make them think seal are difficult. What's difficult for them to realize that a new seal is like a canvas. They can't create something out of nothing."_

It made some sense but she still had to scratch her head with what he said.

"_What do ya mean, Kenji-sensei?"_ Naruto asked, crossing her legs together. She leaned her body backwards, stopping just before the tower of books standing behind her. Why was there a huge tower of books behind her, the blonde did not know but she did know that it would be a terrible idea to knock them down.

Kenji sighed and pulled out the cap of his whiteboard marker pen. He knelt down to the floor and began to draw characters in a form of spiral on the ground. Blue eyes watched as the man hummed and weaved his hand through various hand seals. His large hand slammed on the spiral of characters. The ground glowed and blue eyes widened when the wooden floor pushed up to form a wooden flower.

"_You see that flower? I didn't need a fucking piece of paper to create it,"_ Kenji replied. He gestured to the wooden flower. _"The marker pen? I don't even need it to create a seal. You just need to make characters, put it in the right order, add a shape to convey the idea and bam…you have your seal."_

Naruto raised her eyebrows to her hairline at this piece of information. Her eyes locked onto the wooden flower that resembled more of a sunflower. Did the man know she liked sunflowers? Or had it been a mere coincidence that he chose to make the flower look like a sunflower? She shook her head and rubbed the back of her neck.

"_If it is that fucking easy then why do the Academy make it seem like it is difficult to master?"_ The blonde asked with a frown playing on her lips. The description of seal making sounded something out of a cook book. Easy when a person had a set of instructions to follow. Not something that people would make a big deal.

"_Because they make it complicated,"_ Kenji answered. The Head of the Uzumaki Clan shook his head and leaned his body forward till only a couple of centimeters separated between them. _"And most shinobi think that it is difficult to use seals in battles."_

Naruto frowned. _"Isn't it?"_

Her distant relative shook his head and stood up from his seat. He glanced at the photo on the wall. It was of him standing outside a rather large building complex with a couple of other red-heads. _They are probably the members of the Uzumaki clan._ The older man darted his eyes back at her and looked at her with careful consideration.

"_It is only difficult if you are trying to imitate someone or if you are doing something that doesn't work for you,"_ Kenji finally answered. He leaned back and looked back at the photo. _"Some members of our clan draws shapes and put the characters inside it. Some people prefer to use paper but personally I fucking hate using paper. It is a waste of time but the point is…seals become easy when you find what works for you."_

The blue-eyed teen looked at the man for a good five seconds before nodding her head. Maybe this was not going to be difficult for her. This was like art. There were no set rules for her to follow. If a piece of paper was gone then it would not be a huge deal. Maybe if someone explained it to her like this when she was a little girl then she would have taken it up.

"_But how do I know what works for me?"_ Naruto asked, tilting her head and picking up the wooden sunflower. _"Can I experiment anywhere? Or do I have to do it in front of you?"_

Kenji observed her for a good couple of seconds before kneeling down till they were at eyelevel. His eyebrows twitched and that gleam in his eyes told her he knew why she asked that question. He couldn't possibly have an idea of why she even dared to ask the question. But he was a teacher and he probably did have a student questioned him this.

"_Don't you even dare think of making a seal without my supervision, Naruto."_ The Uzumaki Head barked. Blue eyes widened when the man flicked her forehead. It stung but it felt affectionate too which was odd. A month ago, he practically threatened her and now he treated her so kindly. Kenji blinked and cleared his throat. _"I…used to do that to your mother whenever she had some reckless thought."_

The words hung in the air as the two of them looked away from each other. What should she say? That he must have been close to her mother or should she ask him about her mother? It was probably too soon for them to talk about her mum. They did agree to be only teacher and student until she felt comfortable with him

"_Why can't I make a seal without supervision?"_ Naruto asked, clearing her throat. She scowled and folded her arms against her chest as Kenji looked at her. Was it because she was new to the whole thing? As long as no chakra was channeled into the seal then she should be fine. It should not be such a big deal.

"_Sealing is very easy to mess up and can be dangerous,"_ Kenji answered. He rubbed the back of his neck and darted his eyes to the framed photo of his family. _"One wrong stroke or shape and you might cause a huge explosion or send yourself to another time and dimension."_

Blue eyes widened and Naruto bounced in her seat. Now that sounded awesome. A seal could actually be used to send a person back in time. But could it really do that? Wouldn't it disrupt time and space? But god how cool would it be for her to go back in time? History class would never be boring again and…he could be messing with her.

"_Has that ever happened or are you messing with me?"_

Kenji laughed.

"_Ask Akira-obaasama to tell you of how my grandfather nearly prevented the birth of the first Hokage."_

Naruto stared at him. Her whole mind was as blank as a piece of paper as the words boomed throughout the room. Did he just say that her great-grandfather nearly stopped the Hokage from being born? She jerked her head at Kenji. Hazel eyes gleamed with amusement and pride as he curled his lips into a smile.

"_You are kidding me right?"_

"_Why the hell do you think I became interested in seals? Because of its unlimited uses?"_ Kenji scoffed and shook his head at her._ "I was a little shithead who didn't give a crap about those kind of things and Gramps knew it. So he would tell me and your Mum this story to get us interested in the art of seals."_

Naruto gawked at him. _"Sealing is like magic, isn't it?"_

Kenji snorted and looked at her like those words were an insult to seals. It was like he thought that she insulted his mother or something but her distant relative talked about seals like it was something that could solve everyone problem. Magic could solve everything. There was a reason people called it magic.

"_Magic has no fucking logic while seals has a lot of logic,"_ the man boasted. "_Now since I have your interest, we are going to start on a course of the foundation of the sealing."_

When Naruto looked back on this day, she would admit that Kenji was an amazing teacher. He might be terrible when he tried to welcome her to the clan and made her feel like a piece of shit that day but he had a way of capturing attention. Most teachers failed to keep her attention by the end of her lesson.

Kenji made her pay attention to his lesson and made her fall in love with seals to the point that she planned to use it for her practical exam.

* * *

"_So you want to make a plan, Uzumaki."_

Naruto nodded and stared at Bakugou and Midoriya. The green-haired boy frowned and rubbed his knuckles together, telling her of how nervous he was for the exam. The blond-haired male leaned against the wall, blank-faced at the question, and grunted at her. Bakugou raised an eyebrow at her, telling her that he wanted to know what she was up to.

The whiskered-teen rubbed the back of her neck and nodded. "We need to think of how we can capture All Might."

Green eyes widened and Midoriya jerked his head. His eyes pleaded for her to tell him that she was joking but Naruto only shook her head. She knew how insane her words were to him. All Might was insanely strong but escaping from him meant giving up. No way in hell was she going to wave a flag of defeat because he was the number one hero.

"Are you insane?" Midoriya demanded. His voice trembled and his body shivered as green eyes looked at her with disbelief. Naruto shrugged and the green-haired boy began to pace back and forth through the corridor. "We can't beat All Might! It is a better idea for us to plan a way for us to escape from him."

Bakugou swirled his head at her and red eyes gleamed with irritation.

"Do you fucking understand why the hell I didn't want to work with Deku now?" He grumbled. The blond-haired male scowled and threw a glare at the boy. Midoriya flinched and the whiskered teen pinched her nostril. "I knew that Deku was going to suggest we run with our tails behind our fucking back!"

_I don't like the idea of running away._ Her stomach churned and Naruto grimaced. She knew from the way Midoriya kept looking at her that he wanted her to follow his suggestion. Bakugou glared at her, daring her to do what the green-haired boy wanted. Well did it matter what she think? Running away had never been her style.

"We can't beat him, Kacchan! Uzumaki!" Midoriya insisted. He waved his hands at them and stole a glance at the other side of the corridor before looking back at them. "We need to think of a way to escape from All Might as soon as we get there without fighting him. He will annihilate us."

_Without fighting?_ Naruto pressed her lips into a very thin line and took a seat on the ground. That was impossible if you asked her. All Might was going to fight them whether Midoriya liked it or not. He would find a way to engage them in combat. Not fighting them would make everyone think he was going easy on them.

He would fail them and if not All Might then Aizawa-sensei.

"We will fail the exam if we went with that idea and none of us want to fail," Naruto finally said. She looked up at Midoriya before darting her eyes at Bakugou. The older boy looked triumphant while the green-haired boy shook his head. "Besides you should know Explosive Head won't accept us running away and I'm not the type to run away from a battle."

The whiskered teen looked down at her hands. Running away was the symbolism of giving up. It meant being a coward and she was no coward. Orochimaru tried to kill her and her team but that hadn't been enough to make her run away. She clicked her tongue. Sasuke called her a fool and told her to run away while she had a chance.

"This is All Might we are talking about!" Midoriya cried out. He trembled and ran his hand through his hair as green eyes darted between her and Bakugou. "Maybe you are holding him differently from your standards but imagine if you have to fight one of the strongest shinobi in your village—"

"—I did that," she admitted, wrinkling her nose. The blonde looked up at the ceiling. "I got my ass handed to me but I didn't run away from the fight. You know what? I was lucky that Orochimaru didn't try to kill me when I fought him."

Midoriya groaned and hung his head while Bakugou looked at her like she was a fool. What was the huge deal? Sakura and Sasuke had been in trouble. They had been terrified and she didn't want them dead. At the time, they had been the closest thing she had to a family. Of course, things were different now. Team Seven was disbanded.

"You have no sense of preservation, do you?" Midoriya cried, looking at her like he wanted to check her sanity. Naruto's lips tugged into a smile. It had been a long time since someone told her this. _I didn't even have a plan when I attacked Orochimaru._ She widened her smile while Bakugou narrowed his eyes at her.

"Nope."

The green-haired boy smacked his head and Naruto laughed. The fact that tears streamed down his face and the way he kept trying to steady himself against the wall was a funny sight to see. If Midoriya failed to become a hero then he could do well with his reactions. Dear god, he looked like a headless chicken with the way he kept moving around the corridor.

Bakugou snorted and looked at her like he thought she was the biggest idiot he had ever met. What part of her did he think was idiotic? The part of trying to fight Orochimaru? Or for even thinking she could convince Midoriya to fight All Might? His red eyes showed no emotion so it was difficult for her to figure it out.

Shouto was easier for her to read then the boy in front of her.

"When I fought that shinobi, I had no time to think of a plan," Naruto informed them. She clasped her hands behind her head and beamed at the two boys as an idea came to her mind. "And right now we have time and unlike _that_ time…I can bind people now. I can bind All Might and put those handcuffs on him."

The green-haired boy blinked and looked down at her with wide eyes. _I bet he didn't think I will say this._ That uncertainty in his eyes told her this much but there was no hope in his eyes. There was no way she could do this. That was the challenge his eyes told her and Naruto exhaled. This was a challenge that she was going to take.

Bakugou perked up at this piece of information and looked down at her. Unlike Midoriya, his red eyes gleamed with interest. _He doesn't think I'm insane for being confident._ That wild smirk on his face told her this. He liked it or maybe she believed it because of that gleam of excitement and confidence in his eyes.

"And how do you plan to bind him, Whiskers?" The blond-haired boy asked, looking down at her. "All Might can break through anything so what do you have on you that you think will make it difficult for him to break through?"

She curled her lips into a smile as Midoriya darted his eyes between Naruto and Bakugou. The fact he tilted his head and looked at her with interest told her everything. The blonde inhaled and exhaled before closing her eyes. He didn't voice out his question but the blonde knew what he asked of her. He didn't even need to look at her for her to understand what he wanted her to tell them.

"I have been learning how to make seals from my Mum's cousin," Naruto explained. She channelled her chakra to the tip of her finger and exhaled before focusing her eyes on the ceiling. "With the right characters and order, I can bind All Might and handcuffed him."

Midoriya and Bakugou exchanged looks before focusing their eyes on her. It was easy for her to read them. From the hope gleaming in Midoriya's eyes, he believed she was going to make certain that they didn't fight. The irritation shining through Bakugou's eyes told her that the boy believed the same thing as his childhood friend.

"I thought you will try to fight him," Bakugou grumbled with a scowl on his face. "But from the look of things, you don't want us to fight him."

The blonde hummed and locked eyes with the both of them. He had it all wrong. _She_ couldn't be the one to fight him, not when she was the only one who could make the seal. If she did not want them to fight then there was no need for her to talk them. Naruto smiled when Midoriya looked at her with wide eyes.

He understood what she wanted them to do.

"You need Kacchan and me to fight him, don't you?" Midoriya paled while Bakugou swirled his head at her. "If you didn't want us to fight him then you wouldn't have gone all this way to talk to us."

Naruto smiled even wider and bobbed her head as her eyes focused on the two males. The green-haired boy trembled and gulped like he didn't know whether he could do it or not. Bakugou smirked and looked down at her with eyes filled with so much excitement. It was a good thing but they had one problem right now.

Midoriya.

"Can you do it?" Naruto asked. She locked eyes with the green-eyed boy and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Can you look pass the fact he is the Number One Hero? Because when we enter that field, he will be villain. He is going to be the person standing between us having fun with everyone and being stuck in summer school. If you can't do it then I can only rely on Explosive Head."

The green-haired boy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. The way he scrunched his eyes told her that he didn't know whether he could do it or not. _Can I really punch my idol?_ That was what those green eyes told her. Naruto held her breath and dug her fingers against the palm of her hand while Bakugou eyed the boy.

Midoriya took a deep breath and finally nodded.

"I will do it, Naruto."

"_Team Bakugou, Midoriya and Uzumaki, please proceed to the starting gate!"_

* * *

The sun seemed intent to shine brightly today, almost as if to mock them into thinking that today was going to be an easy win for Naruto and her team. But the lack of sound in the training site made Naruto tense up her shoulders, her blue eyes darting everywhere as her ears tried to pick up for some subtle hint of where All Might be.

"How do we find him?" Midoriya asked, flickering his green eyes at her. He looked at her with some form of expectations as if she might have an amazing idea of how to draw All Might out. But Naruto couldn't sense someone with no chakra and her hearing could only extend so far even with chakra. She slumped her shoulders, chewed on her bottom lip and tried again to hear for anything.

"He is going to come for us eventually," Bakugou reminded them as they continued to stroll through the streets of the empty city training ground. His red eyes darted to her, not looking at her with annoyance nor looking at her like she was some kind of weirdo for just using her ears to pay attention.

It was reassuring for him not to make any stupid comment about her not knowing a damn thing.

"We need to be careful when he comes out of his hiding spot," Naruto whispered, tensing up as the sound of some piece of paper rustled in the background. Was it the wind? Or was it All Might preparing for an attack? It was hard for her to tell when there was no chakra for her to sense. She nibbled her bottom lip, picked up her kunai and closed her eyes.

_When would he attack?_

_How would he attack?_

_How much would he hold back on them?_

Naruto could only ask herself those questions as she darted her eyes everywhere. Not a single person in her line of vision and that made the blonde tremble as her teammates looked around. It worried her. Because from what Midoriya pulled out from his notebook on All Might, the man did not have a Kekkei Genkei that could make him invisible.

Another rustle in the background but unlike the previous rustle, it seemed to be getting louder and louder as each second passed. Blue eyes widened as a haunting realization dawned upon her. _Bastard can redirect the winds with his fist! He did that when Blasty got himself attack by that slug villain!_ She swore under her breath and tackled her two teammates on the ground.

The wind whistled and howled, blasting everything off of its tracks. The street lamps uprooted from their places in the streets, flying passed them and hitting the sides of the buildings around them. The glasses cracked and shatted to the ground, crashing straight down on the pavements of the streets. A few more inches and either her, Bakugou or Midoriya would have been impaled by those things.

"Thanks Uzumaki," Midoriya said as Naruto placed both of her arms on either sides of the boy, blond hair dropping to the side as her head turned to look around. There only seemed to be a cloud of smoke behind them but the blonde could hear the stomping, loud and familiar footsteps of the man that was testing them for their exams.

"Don't thank me yet, Midoriya! All Might is here."

Green eyes widened while the red eyes of Bakugou gleamed with excitement of the knowledge that their teacher was here to fight them. Naruto wasn't certain of how she felt about it. Excited? Maybe. Today would be the day she would actually get to use what she learnt with Kenji to practice. Concern? Most likely.

She doesn't know if this plan would work.

The cloud of dust slowly disappeared as All Might strolled towards them, blue eyes gleaming with a haunting evil that Naruto never thought All Might was capable of making. He was always smiling, always caring about people and didn't seem like he had a mean bone in his body. But this wasn't All Might.

All Might was a Hero.

This man right in front of her was the opposite of a hero.

"Collateral damage? Who gives a shit!" All Might declared, narrowing his eyes and flickering his eyes to the slabs of concrete on the sides of the road before looking at the three of them. For a brief moment, no one said anything. No one moved. The only thing that gave any hint of their reactions was the sweat and tremors coming from Bakugou and Midoriya.

Naruto just clenched her hands into a fist, fingernails digging into the palm of her hand. She wasn't terrified. Nothing could be more scarier than fighting Orochimaru or nearly dying in the hands of a friend. But it did feel like a punishment as if to remind her of the real dangers in the real world. She looked down at her palms before glancing at her terrified teammates.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto smacked them hard on the back of the heads.

"What the hell was that for, Whiskers?" Bakugou screamed, rubbing the back of his head as All Might got closer to them. Midoriya nodded his head, rubbing the back of his own head and the blonde just raised an eyebrow. She gestured to their teacher and both of their eyes widened as if just realizing of what she planned for them to do.

"I can't carry out my plan if the two of you are going to be scaredy cats!" She snapped, pushing herself up in the ground.

All Might was only now fifty meters away from them, body squatting as if getting ready to propel himself towards them. His blue eyes locked on the three of them, looking at them like they were a bunch of pests that seemed to be getting in his way. "If the three of you don't take this thing seriously then you are going to be in a world of pain."

In that moment, All Might looked the furthest thing of being a Hero. The lines on his face seemed to be harsher, more sinister-looking and reminded Naruto of those horror movies that Tokage loved to see. His blue eyes gleamed with malicious intent, looking almost like he would have no problem of murdering them in this portion of the exam.

The man was not joking around.

He propelled himself forward, hands reaching out towards them as his whole body almost seemed to blur together. Naruto channeled her chakra to her legs and arms, launching herself forward and grabbing hold of the man's fist. She clenched her jaws as blue eyes looked down at her with some form of pride. Her legs wobbled, skirting to the side but Naruto contained the fist.

"The three of you shouldn't ever forget that in this exam, I'm a Villain!" All Might declared, pushing his large fist deeper into the palm of her hand. The palm of her hand burned from the impact, almost tempting her to drop her hand but a quick look to the side told her that neither Bakugou nor Midoriya were ready to launch their attacks. "Come at me with everything you've got!"

He really shouldn't have said that.

"Remember you asked for this, All Might! Don't blame us for our actions!"

* * *

"Deku-kun and Bakugou are lucky that they have Uzumaki-chan with them," Uraraka declared, gawking and blinking at the sight of Naruto holding onto All Might's fist rather tightly. Standing on either sides of her was Shouto and Yaoyorozu. Both teens had just completed their exams and were now content to watch their classmates battle. "I didn't realize Uzumaki-chan could be that strong!"

_She is amazing._ Shouto felt his lips twitched at the way Uraraka gawked at the monitor. Hadn't they seen how amazing Naruto was? She fought off the Nomu without much problem. The only problem the whiskered girl had was being so reckless but this fight was different. It wasn't just her showing everyone how great her physical strength was.

Unlike him, the blonde had no problem with working in a team.

"Even though they have Uzumaki-san with them, they are still in trouble," Yaoyorozu observed, shaking her head. The black-haired girl shook her head and pressed her lips into a thin line. The chair churned and Recovery Girl turned around to look at them. "All Might is still the Number One Hero."

"But All Might is battling against the three of them, Yaoyorozu." Shouto reminded her. He shifted his weight to the left and fixated on the calculating gleam in Naruto's eyes. He knew the whiskered girl. She always had a plan and there was Midoriya for them to consider. The boy probably had a whole notebook of tactics to defeat the hero.

"They might be three people but Midoriya-san and Bakugou-san would have been stuck in their place if Uzumaki hadn't smacked them hard in the back of the head!" Yaoyorozu reminded him, shaking her head at him. "What is the point of being in a team of three, if those two were just terrified?"

_Don't underestimate them._ Teamwork made a huge difference as he realized when he discussed his plan with the black-haired girl. If it had been anyone else, he would agree with them. But Naruto was unpredictable. Her chakra gave them a huge advantage when they considered everything and there was the fact the blonde could make seals.

He didn't fully understand what seals were but Shouto knew seals were amazing.

"You have to be insane not to be terrified to fight All Might," Uraraka said, shaking her head and chewing on her bottom lip. Her brown eyes seemed intent on staring at Naruto, who only now let go of All Might's fist. "I don't understand how Uzumaki-chan isn't terrified of him. Even during USJ, she didn't even react when those villains came out of nowhere."

_Because he isn't the worse opponent that she had._ Shouto rubbed the back of his neck and leaned his body forward. Unlike everyone in their class or even maybe their whole year, Naruto had experience. Experience beat everything. While his classmates and him had been in school, the blonde had been doing missions.

There was also the fact that Naruto did not fear failing or even All Might.

Her fear was abandonment and that was something the man couldn't do her.

"It takes a lot for Naruto to get scared," Shouto finally commented, shaking his head. "All Might doesn't terrify her enough."

Both Yaoyorozu and Uraraka blinked and raised their eyebrows at him. He would never answer their silent question. Abandonment was one of Naruto's main fears but there were other things too. Losing control of the Kyuubi was another thing the blonde feared. Being judged for what was inside of her was another fear that she had.

"She is a girl filled with a lot of guts if not even All Might can scare her," Recovery Girl declared, shaking her head. "That kind of guts is what Bakugou and Midoriya needs right now. Without her, those two would have been in huge trouble if she wasn't there with them. There had been some arguments for her to be paired with Kaminari and Ashido but Eraserhead didn't budge from his decision."

Yaoyorozu frowned and grimaced while Shouto tilted his head. He could see the reason why some of the teachers would have wanted them paired them together. Naruto was very good when it came to planning things. She was a trickster. Their very first battle showcased it but it would have never worked when he thought about it.

Kaminari would have spent more time flirting with Naruto instead of focusing on the task at hand. Shouto scowled. The blond-haired teen did have a habit of flirting with the blonde. _I don't know how he can be so confident._ Giving a compliment to the whiskered girl made his hands shake and he couldn't always focus around her.

Yaoyorozu frowned and grimaced. "Going against Principle Nezu would have been difficult for her when we consider how his Quirk is his intelligence. She would have struggled…"

"She would have struggled but Eraserhead knows Uzumaki can pull out a couple of tricks to defeat him," Recovery Girl interrupted, leaning against her chair. "But if she had been placed with Kaminari and Ashido then they would have relied on her to use her brains to get out of that mess, which defeats the purpose of pairing them up together."

Uraraka frowned and leaned her whole body forward. "So why did Aizawa-sensei pair Uzumaki with Midoriya and Bakugou?"

When you have two students that don't want to listen to what the other has to say, you will need a bridge…a glue so to speak." Recovery Girl answered, waving her cane at them. She stared at the three teens in the monitor. "Out of everyone in the class, Uzumaki is one of the few people that can talk sense into Bakugou. She doesn't take any nonsense and will manipulate the situation to get her own way. Eraserhead wanted her to fix the issue between them."

"So basically Aizawa-sensei worried that without Naruto there, Bakugou was going to throw a hissy tantrum and act like a big baby towards Midoriya, wasn't he?" Shouto asked, raising an eyebrow at the Nursing Hero. She bobbed her head, looking faintly amused at the way he described the situation. It was the honest truth.

Between the three of them, the boy threw a hissy fit whenever things didn't go his way

"So Uzumaki-chan was delegated the task of being their babysitter?" The brown-haired girl asked with a frown on her face. "That's kind of disappointing."

_Boom._

In that moment, the monitor before them exploded with a massive cloud of dust. Uraraka squeaked and shuffled closer to the screen, brown eyes trying to search for what could be the cause of the explosion. Yaoyorozu just tilted her head, black eyes gleaming with curiosity for what the only group of three could have planned. Shouto just pressed his lips into a very thin line.

The cloud of dust disappeared, revealing Bakugou and Midoriya standing side by side with both of them having one gauntlet of explosive sweats in both hands. Naruto stood in front of them, blue eyes gleaming with excitement and joy as All Might wobbled slightly from the surprise attack that the three students conducted.

Naruto held her two fingers together, summoning so many clones into the battle field. It was hard for Shouto to count the number of clones but if he had to guess then the number of clones had to be more than 60. Each one of those clones had the same smirk as the original Naruto before launching themselves at the man, covering him like a bunch of sand would cover an adult in the beach.

Bakugou and Midoriya glanced at each other before sprinting towards the clones-covered All Might.

"Why are they running towards All Might? This is their chance to run away!" Uraraka cried, frowning and swirling her head at him and Yaoyorozu. The two teens knitted their eyebrows, looking just as confused as the worried brown-haired girl. "They are in over their heads if they think they can beat All Might."

Shouto frowned and looked at the grim-faced Naruto. It was insanity as Uraraka claimed but his friend had every right to be confident. If it had been anyone else, he would call them an idiot. But his crush wasn't an idiot. She was the girl who vowed to win the Sports Festival and did the impossible. Until Naruto, there hadn't been a person who won all three rounds of the Sport Festival.

Naruto was the only girl, who wasn't terrified of his father and the only person who would tell him if he fucked things up. She was the same girl, who had been able to figure out the culprit of who kidnapped those kids when all the Heroes had no clue.

If anyone could make the impossible happen then it would be her.

* * *

Naruto rubbed the sweat off of her face with her left hand as her right hand reached out for her kunai in her pockets. The original plan had been for Midoriya and Bakugou to fight All Might while she tried to make a seal. But the man must have sensed that she was up to something since he just constantly kept attacking her. Right now, her clones were piled up on him and this was her chance to start the show.

The blond-haired girl slashed the palm of her hand, creating a deep cut that extended from her thumb to her pinky. Three minutes. That was how long she had before her wound would be fully healed. She darted her eyes to Bakugou and Midoriya. Both teens huddled closer to her, their eyes fixated on her own blue eyes.

"Three minutes," Naruto informed them quietly as her clones continued to press down on All Might. "I need you to fight him for three whole minutes until I make the seal that would bind him in place. This will be our only chance to capture him and handcuffed him."

Midoriya and Bakugou glanced at each other, eyeing the other with weariness before looking back at her. In the past fifteen minutes that they have been fighting All Might, not once had Bakugou tried to fight with Midoriya or cause any problems. Instead he had been complacent, helping the boy in tackling the older male down to the ground. This was what she hoped would continue until the exams were over.

"Do you honestly believe that a bunch of clones could contain me?" All Might yelled, pushing all of her clones away from him. Her clones flew through the air, crashing on the walls of several buildings and disappearing in a cloud of white smoke. For a brief moment, Naruto felt her head throbbed as several images came into her mind. Images that currently made no sense to her. "Are the three of you taking this thing seriously?"

Bakugou and Midoriya clenched their jaws, not looking one bit pleased at what the man had just said. They took a deep breath with Bakugou's hand crackling with sparks and the hand of Midoriya glowing a brilliant shade of green. Naruto just knelt down, drawing a circle and scribbled down the character of _chain_.

"We are taking it seriously!" Naruto declared, looking up at the man. Blue eyes glowed with anticipation as she nibbled her bottom lip. All Might blinked as Midoriya lurched forward, hurling his arm backwards before releasing it like a spring towards him. The man did not even blink, flinch or gasp at the action. Instead, he grabbed hold of Midoriya's hand and slammed the boy to the ground.

Bakugou closed his eyes and shot a blast of explosions towards All Might, red eyes gleaming of excitement. The man jumped up, dodging the explosives that crashed to the ground. The concrete of the road cracked and jumped up in the air before smashing back to the ground to make some hole. All Might just frowned, not looking one bit impressed.

_Need to speed things up._

This was the only thought Naruto had as her hands came together to make more clones. If she wanted to cause the least amount of injuries for her partners then she would have to use her clones. Clones could be more efficient. It would also make it more difficult for All Might to even guess what she planned to do. Not that he could figure it out.

She doubt anyone could figure it out.

Her clones stared at her for a good couple of seconds before shooting to several different locations. All of them knelt down and began to scribble down the characters assigned to them. She bobbed her head, closed her eyes and launched herself at All Might. She waved her hands together into a seal, took a deep breath and expelled a huge gust of wind in the direction of All Might.

The blond-haired man crossed his hands together, frowning as his leg moved a few more inches to the side. The wind seemed to blow everything else, from the broken glasses to even the broken slabs of concrete, sending them flying through the air while Bakugou and Midorya tried to hold on to something. _I forgot that they don't have chakra._ They pushed themselves up, the moment that the wind stopped moving away.

"Next time, Whiskers! Warn us!" Bakugou yelled, rolling to the side as All Might smashed his fist on the ground. A few more inches to the right and the man would have destroyed the boy's ribs. Naruto laughed nervously as Midoriya knelt down, knitted his eyebrows and tackled All Might in the back.

That stopped the man from going near to her clones.

She couldn't get him go near them.

Naruto took a deep breath and channelled her chakra into her legs, sprinting straight towards the man. Wind chakra began to envelop around her fist and without a second thought, Naruto smashed her fist against All Might's face. The man blinked as his legs moved a couple of meters away from his original spot. Cuts began to form all around the man's face, decorating it.

"That's a new move," All Might commented, fingering the cuts on his face. "I didn't realize you were capable of making a wind attack with your fist. I'm impressed, Young Uzumaki. I'm impressed with all three of you but this won't be enough for the three of you to pass the exams!"

"We know," Midoriya declared, panting and rubbing the sweat off of his face. Green eyes darted to the side and his lips curled into a smile, making the blond-haired girl frown. She followed his line of sight. Naruto's eyes widened when she realized that her clone waved her hands, lips curled into a very bright, happy smile as she gestured to the ground.

Naruto blinked and swirled her head around, blue eyes following the circle of characters that seemed to have now surrounded All Might. Now. This was the time for her to begin making the final seal. Taking a deep breath, Naruto flickered her eyes at Bakugou and then to Midoriya. No words were spoken between them. There was no need for words to be spoken between them since they could understand each other.

Bakugou pulled out the ignitor from the grenade, hands growing warmer before shooting a single blast of explosions towards All Might. The man stood there, walking towards them and not even trying to dodge the attack. For someone like All Might, the explosives coming from Bakugou might not seem like much but it was enough for Naruto to draw the final character.

_Ten minutes._

Naruto took a deep breath, weaved her hands through several hand seals before slamming her hands against the ground. "Bakugou! Midoriya! Get out of the fucking way!"

The two teens glanced at each other before rushing on either sides of the road. All Might blinked, shaking his head and getting ready to scold her but blue eyes began to widen as the concrete of the road uprooted itself. It swirled, twisted and turned till it form several chains. The chains wrapped itself around All Might, ensnaring himself into the ground and bound him to the ground.

"You shouldn't have underestimated us," Naruto declared, grinning at All Might as she tossed the handcuffs to Bakugou. The older teen grunted, caught the handcuffs with his hands before stomping his way towards All Might. A smirk played on the blond-haired boy's face as he cuffed the struggling man. It would only be ten minutes before the man would be free from those chains. "We had this all planned."

"How is this possible?" All Might asked, eyeing the chains that refused to budge from its spot.

Naruto grinned. "A great prankster never reveals her secrets!"

"_Team Uzumaki, Bakugou and Midoriya—Pass!"_

* * *

**Author Note: **So Naruto, Bakugou and Midoriya passed the exam.

I hope that everyone enjoyed reading this chapter and do let me know of what you liked and disliked the next chapter. The next couple of chapter will probably be around this length and I will try to get the next chapter out in the next couple of days.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**Author Note:**_ I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_You wanted to talk to me, Whiskers."_

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and stared at the irritated red eyes of Bakugou. Currently, the battle going on was between Uraraka and Aoyama against Thirteen and since everyone was busy watching their match, it seemed like a good time for them to talk about things. Except with the way that Bakugou kept glaring at her, she was uncertain if this was a good time.

"I want to explain why I didn't tell you about being a kunoichi and a jinchuuriki to you," Naruto finally said. She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to calm down her raging heart. Why did she tremble at the thought of explaining things to him? Was it because she felt closer to him then Midoriya? Maybe.

Bakugou grunted and looked at her with irritation. The scowl on his face told her that he was still upset over the fact that she hadn't explain things to him. It was fair. As Shouto reminded her, the boy was close to her. They had nicknames for each other and she liked teasing him when she could. He enjoyed annoying her too like how he commented about her cuddling with Shouto.

"You have 10 minutes to explain," the older boy growled. He folded his arms against his chest and clicked his tongue. Okay. Now that told her that if he didn't find her explanation to be good then he was going to be even more irritated with her. Dear god, Bakugou would find any reason to be irritated with her explanation.

The whiskered teen cleared her throat and looked down at her hand. It should be an easy explanation because she was just repeating the same stuff again, except it was different. Bakugou couldn't fully understand the pain that discriminated kids felt. He had been the one discriminating Izuku, never once showing him an ounce of a sympathy.

But she had to do her best.

"I was never once taught on how to break the news that you are a kunoichi to a civilian," Naruto explained. She kept her eyes focused on those irritated red eyes and the blonde exhaled. "You knew a shinobi from a civilian from the Hitai-ate on their forehead, so there was never a need for us to learn how to break the news. Even then, I doubt that there was ever a good time to tell you."

USJ had been terrible timing and they hadn't been all that close to each other. The Sports Festival probably would have been a good time but the both of them had been so focused on winning the whole thing. The internship? The two of them were in different cities and she had been so focused on getting those children back.

There had never been a good time to tell him.

"What about the whole Jinchuuriki thing?" Bakugou asked quietly. His red eyes narrowed at her like he wanted to know what was her excuse of not telling him, and Naruto paused. Her whole body trembled as memories from the past washed over her. _I'm stronger now and I am a fighter._ Those memories could not hurt her anymore.

Naru-chan was gone while Naruto existed. She needed to remind herself that the weak little girl inside of her was gone, only to come out during the times of pain. She was the maelstrom and explaining everything to a calm Bakugou should be easy for her. But it was not that easy. Not when there was not an ounce of emotion coming out of those ruby eyes.

"It wasn't easy for me growing up," Naruto finally explained. She plastered a smile on her face and swallowed down the lump lodged in her throat. "Hibiki-ojisan told you, didn't he? Jinchuuriki never have an easy life growing up and I'm no different. I didn't even know why people treated me like I didn't deserve to have the same rights as them until I was twelve. I was afraid that you would be the same as them."

The blond-haired boy clenched his jaws together and balled his hands into a fist as his red eyes looked at her with a fury that reminded her of an erupting volcano. Why the hell was he so furious? She was telling him the truth. If he didn't want the truth then he should have stopped her. She thought that he deserved the right to know the truth.

_Smash._ The wall cracked and Naruto flinched as Bakugou growled. Was she wrong to tell him this truth? But it would have been unfair not to tell him the truth. At least he looked at her with fury instead of looking at her with eyes filled with pity. Pity was an emotion that always made her grind her teeth together and made her want to punch a wall.

"Do you fucking think that I'm like them?" He snarled, shoulders trembling as he directed his furious red eyes on her.

Naruto clenched her jaws together and looked down at the floor. Did he forget of how he treated Izuku during their time in Middle School? Because she could still recall how the boy would taunt him about his dreams. It was impossible for her to forget what happened between those two. But Explosive Head must have forgotten of what he did.

"Did you forget how cruel you used to be to Midoriya?" She finally growled. Bakugou blinked and the blonde narrowed her eyes at him. "You hurt him every time he would tell people that he wants to be a hero and Midoriya is your best friend! How do you think I should have acted when you were being an asshole to him?"

Her eyes burned and Naruto pushed back the tears that threatened to overflow. He made it seemed like it should have been easy for her to trust him but he didn't fully understand. Izuku was his best friend and he reacted like this. How would he react with her? That was something Bakugou should understand.

"Deku was being a naïve idiot, Whiskers!" Bakugou growled at her with a scowl playing on his face. "If he became a hero when his Quirk hadn't manifested then the heroes would have to save his sorry ass! You are an idiot if you think the situation between the two of you are the same! I would have judged you for having a powerhouse inside of you!"

_That is the first time someone called the Kyuubi a powerhouse._ Naruto rubbed her stomach and looked at the scowling boy standing across her. Even though his words sounded harsh, she felt her shoulders relax as her blue eyes took in the scowl playing on his lips. It wasn't the usual furious scowl that Bakugou would give her but the irritated scowl he would make when he was trying to cheer her up.

She snorted and busted out laughing with the realization of what Bakugou was trying to tell her. The older boy scowled and looked away from her, hands rubbing the back of his neck like he was embarrassed at what happened.

"You know you really sound like an ass for being someone who wants to reassure me that he would have been in awe with the Kyuubi."

Bakugou growled.

"Don't put fucking words into my mouth!"

Naruto beamed at the boy and looked up at the ceiling. Maybe it was silly of her to be worried about what people would think of her. Bakugou and Midoriya didn't know the history of the Kyuubi. They didn't know of what the beast inside of her had done to the village and maybe that was for the best. They reassured her that maybe even if people did know then there was a chance for her and Gaara to be accepted.

Sliding her hands into her pockets, Naruto offered one last smile at Bakugou before proceeding to walk back to the control room. Once Uraraka and Aoyama were done, it would be okay for them to go out of school. It would be time for her to have ramen with Shouto and well that was going to be fun for her.

It would be just the two of them and today would be the day that she would open up even more to him. It should terrify her but things between them was good. He was her best-friend in this part of the world. The boy understood her and didn't pity her for the parts of her life that she did decide to tell him about.

"Oi Whiskers, what was your Dad's name?"

The happiness inside of her faded at the question and Naruto twisted her whole body around to look at Bakugou. Her father? Why did he want to know about the man who created her? She knitted her eyebrows together. Was there something special about him? Well if her father was who she thought it was then…yeah he was special.

He was probably the reason for her messed-up childhood.

"I don't know," Naruto finally answered. Bakugou blinked and the blonde cleared her throat, trying to calm down her trembling arms. "I never had the courage to ask Kenji-sensei or even Ero-Sennin who my father was."

_I don't want my suspicions to be true._

With that final thought, the whiskered teen walked away to leave the boy to ponder over her words and neither of them noticed a pair of wide black eyes watching them.

* * *

"_You were right when you ordered me to talk to Yaoyorozu about my plans."_

Naruto hummed and looked away from her ramen as her knees brushed against Shouto's knee. Since her friend still offered to pay for her ramen, the blonde saw no reason to come to her new favourite ramen stand with him. Mineta tried to come with them but one glare from the mismatched-haired boy quickly stopped him from coming along.

The whiskered teen held back a smile and put down her chopsticks before swirling her head at her blank-faced friend. Ordered? Now that was rather unfair if you asked her. It wasn't like she ordered him to talk to the black-haired girl. Naruto puffed her cheeks and folded her arms against her chest as her blue eyes rested on the boy.

"I didn't order you to do!" Naruto protested. She wiggled her finger at him, earning a chuckle from the mismatched boy and a couple of giggles from one of the server. "I only offered you a suggestion that you decided to take! I didn't order you to do it."

Shouto quirked his lips into a smile and those mismatch eyes gleamed with amusement. There was nothing funny about what she just told him! If she wanted to order him then it would be impossible. He could be so stubborn at times and just as hot-headed as Bakugou, except the way he vocalized it was a lot less passionate than her fellow blond.

"I don't know Naruto," Shouto commented with a little smile playing on his lips. Those mismatch eyes looked down at her and the smile on his face widened slightly. "It sounded a lot like an order to me."

Naruto opened her mouth to argue, only to close her mouth when she saw the teasing glint in his mismatch eyes. It was a joke and for the first time in her life, she did not realize that she was being teased by him. It was ridiculous for her not to realize it, but it was great that he felt comfortable to tease her. The fact that he did it, made the butterflies in her stomach.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde tried to calm down the flutters and offered a smile. The boy looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck but with a closer inspection Naruto noticed the slight redness to his ears. _It is a good thing he unintentionally confessed to me or I would have misunderstood his blush._ Her smile widened and she leaned closer to him.

"Are you teasing me, Homeostasis?" She asked, brushing her hand against his shoulder. Shouto did not nod or shake his head but the whiskered teen could see the gulp in his Adam apple. The increased heat of his left side made her shiver. Could a simple touch from her affect him so much? She knew he hadn't been touched in a long time but if a single touch could bring this much of a reaction from him.

Shouto looked down at her and slowly nodded his head. His mismatch eyes looked from her bright blue eyes to her lips before looking back to her eyes. Did he recall that kiss between them? The one where she acted recklessly? Because her whole body still burned from the memory of that kiss between them. Her heart thundered against her chest and Naruto reminded herself that she had to wait for him to make the move.

"Am I improving?" He asked. The innocent gleam in his eyes calmed down her nerves and Naruto curled her lips into a wide smile. That innocent gleam in his eyes helped remind her that he didn't know about the world around them. She inhaled and leaned closer to him, breast brushing against him as her breath ghosted against him.

Now that her body was closer to him, the heat of his left side burned her even more and Naruto steadied her trembling body. "You are doing an amazing job, Pretty Boy."

The blonde leaned away from him and tilted her head to the side as her blue eyes gleamed with an innocent gleam. Shouto did not look one bit convinced by her innocent gleam if the raised eyebrow were of any indication. If anything, his eyes kept flickering down to her chest before quickly looking back at her as his cheeks burned a light shade of pink.

After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and locked eyes with her bright blond hair. The softness in his eyes made her throat tightened and she wondered what the younger boy was thinking about. Was it the fact that she complimented him? Because he was a pretty boy. He was really attractive. If she was the type to wax poetry then Naruto would tell him of how beautiful he was.

"If I'm a Pretty Boy then that makes you a Pretty Girl, doesn't it?" Shouto asked, tilting his head at her. His eyes swept from her bright blond hair before moving back down to her blue eyes. The sincerity in his tone and eyes made her gulp. Nejire always told her that she was beautiful and Shouto had mentioned it a couple of times unintentionally in the beginning of their friendship.

But it was different because the seriousness in his eyes told her that he was deeply aware of the words coming out from his mouth. Her whole face heated up and the girl tugged the collar of her school uniform. Was she really pretty enough to have that kind of title from him? If anyone deserved the title then it would be Yaoyorozu or even Itsuka.

"I-I'm not that pretty," Naruto answered, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and gulping down a lump. She looked down at her ramen and took several deep breaths to calm down her racing heart. "I mean Nejire-chan is prettier than me and the same goes for Yaoyorozu! I shouldn't be called Pretty Girl!"

Why did she carry doubts about her own appearance? Her mother had been a beautiful woman and her father had been a pretty boy from what she had seen from the sketch that Kenji had given her. It did mean she was considered attractive but that stupid Ami got to her head. _ You are just an __**ugly fox**__._ Those words would never fade from her memory.

Shouto looked at her for a good couple of seconds before putting down his bowl of ramen. The younger boy placed his hands on top of her shoulders, rubbing circles around them before lowering his head. Naruto felt her heart raced against her chest as Shouto's breath tickled her. If he thought that this was calming her down then it was anything but calming her down.

"You are prettier than Hadou and Yaoyorozu," Shouto whispered to his ear. Her cheeks burned at those words and she swirled her head to look at the younger boy. His face stood only a couple of centimeters away from her and the intensity of his eyes made her gulp. "You are really beautiful Naruto and every guy here knows it or why do you think that they keep looking at you?"

Blue eyes widened at the bluntness in his tone and Naruto looked at the various males, who now looked away from them. If there was one thing she knew, it was the fact Shouto was not the type of boy who lied. He didn't have a dishonest bone inside of him. So for him to tell her with irritation that a lot of boys were looking at her because of her appearance told her that he was truthful.

It also told her that he didn't like it when they looked at her.

"Thank you, Homeostasis."

The gratitude in her tone hung in the air as Naruto smiled at the boy, who stuck by her side even when she had been mean to him. Shouto offered her a smile and his hand reached out to her hair before quickly going back to his sides. The hesitance in his eyes and the way he had quickly withdrew his hand from her told her that he hadn't been certain of whether to do it or not.

Well it would have been fine with her.

Naruto curled her lips into a smile and looked down at her streaming bowl of ramen. It felt nice to hang out with him like this especially now that he was slowly being opened with his affection. Maybe when they actually started going out then she could make him aware that if he wanted to touch her then she would be fine with it.

Inhaling the savory goodness that was her ramen, the blonde resumed back to eating her bowl like there was no tomorrow. As she slurped and chewed on her ramen, the whiskered teen could feel Shouto looking at her with concerned eyes. Did he find it disgusting that she didn't eat like a proper girl? Because he should know by now that she couldn't control herself.

"Are things between you, Midoriya and Bakugou good now?" Shouto asked.

Naruto paused and moved the empty bowl of ramen to the side as mismatch eyes looked at her with curiosity. Were things good between them now? She tilted her head to the left and poked her tongue against her cheeks. They did talk things out and well both males seemed to have understand everything when she considered how their conversations went.

"I think our friendship is going to be stronger now than ever before," Naruto answered. The blonde picked up her cup of cold green tea and took a sip before quirking her lips into a smile. "I mean now I can finally confirmed that I have only fucked up one thing in my life."

Shouto looked at her with concern and the blonde guessed he heard the bitterness in her tone. The whiskered teen slumped her shoulders and clasped her hands together. If he asked her about what was the fuck up then she would tell him of what messed her up. They were close friends and she liked him. Since he knew about her kunoichi past then it was time for her to talk about Sasuke.

She needed to talk about it at one point and who better to talk about it then Shouto?

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Naruto closed her eyes, steadying her trembling shoulders, and nodded her head.

"We will talk about it in my apartment since it isn't a topic that I want to talk in public."

She wanted to be able to talk comfortably with him.

* * *

_Akimoto Minato looks exactly like Namikaze Minato._

Jiraiya looked down at the newspaper clipping and looked down at the photo of a blond-haired boy, who looked exactly like his former student. It was ridiculous but something hadn't felt right since he met Bakugou. The similarity between him and Naruto could be coincidence but there was no denying how it had been weird how his old friend came back with Minato.

It had been even weirder when the man claimed that Minato's mother had been his wife when there was not one ounce of similarity between them. Jiraiya eyed the image of Akimoto Narumi. He could see the greater resemblance between them from the shape of their nose and their chins alongside their eye colour.

"Ah, I see you are interested in the missing case of Akimoto Minato," a kind elderly voice commented. Jiraiya looked away from the newspaper clipping and relaxed his shoulder when he saw it was the librarian. She looked like she could be the same age as Sarutobi-sensei. "It was a very tragic case."

The elderly woman took the seat beside him and looked at the photo of the smiling little boy on the newspaper clipping. Was the case that famous than he thought? None of the people he questioned, knew anything about the case. The library had been his last option but it seemed like it was going to be the clue that he needed to figure out the connection.

He smiled at the librarian and scanned through the various newspaper clipping, before looking back at the white-haired woman sitting beside him. Perhaps the woman knew better of what happened to the missing boy, especially if she had an idea of who could be the culprit. He hoped his suspicion was wrong and his friend did not do anything reckless.

"I see that neither the detective nor the heroes found him," Jiraiya commented, pointing at the various reports decorating his table. He thinned his lips and darted his eyes to the notebook. "Did they have any leads? I'm writing a book about this case."

The old woman's eyes lit up with excitement, telling the white-haired man that the woman was a typical bookworm. _Maybe if the whole thing become interesting then I will make another series._ His books did sell more here then the Elemental Countries and maybe mixing the truth in what happened to the boy would make him more money.

"If I remember correctly Akimoto Narumi accused her son's biological father," the librarian replied. Jiraiya grimaced as the white-haired woman took a look of the newspaper clipping before thinning her lips. "He looked like a great lead since his mother admitted that they were arguing over custody but they couldn't find the father."

_Custody._ Jiraiya rubbed his chin and looked down at the newspaper clipping for a good couple of minutes. That would make sense. The months leading to Namikaze Souta leaving Konoha for a holiday, the man had been acting strange. He presumed the man was meeting his lover at the time but it could be the case that he had been bringing back his son.

A son that he probably wanted if Keisuke couldn't have children.

"_Jiraiya-sensei, you are more like a Dad then my actual father!"_

That should have been his clue and Jiraiya thinned his lips. He pulled out the photo of Naruto that Mikoto had given him when the girl turned six. There was a huge resemblance between the boy and the girl, which made his stomach churned. If Souta really did take Minato away from his mother then shouldn't he have reassured the mother of his child that he was fine?

But if those two had been arguing then Jiraiya knew how petty and childish Souta could be. Not even Keisuke could talk some sense to him and the white-haired man remembered how much the man adored his pretty wife.

"No, Akimoto-san never mentioned the name of the father of her child in the newspaper report," the librarian commented. The old woman inhaled and exhaled before flickering her eyes at the students, who had their heads buried in the various textbook. "She sobbed whenever they tried to ask her and well no one can blame. Minato was such a sweet child."

Jiraiya blinked and twisted his head to look at the elderly woman. Did she personally know Minato? Well this city was the city that the boy had been born and raised as the internet told him. _If only we had an information base as quick as their search engine._ He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck as one main question came to mind.

"Did you know Minato very well?"

The librarian looked at the newspaper clipping with a frown playing on her lips before looking back at him. From the sadness in her eyes told Jiraiya that the woman did indeed know the missing boy. It did make sense. If Akimoto Minato was Namikaze Minato then the boy probably spent a lot of time in the library. His student did love reading books, especially books that talked about Kekkei Genkei.

"Minato would come here after school with his baby sister," the librarian explained. The old woman smiled sadly and looked to the children's section before looking back at him. "He was a very sweet boy who was always reading stories to his sister and making up stories about heroes, but the poor boy would also use the library as a hiding place. The kids used to bully him for being Quirkless."

Jiraiya frowned and looked back down at the newspaper clipping as doubt crept up to his stomach. If Minato had been bullied then he would have hated people with Kekkei Genkei but his student had been fascinated with Kekkei Genkei. _He would praise Mikoto for her sharingan even when she didn't like it._ He shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

But it was better be safe than sorry.

If his suspicion on the connection between Naruto and the Bakugou family were right then he would have to be the one to break the news to the family. _This is the first time that I don't understand Minato._ This was not like Minato. He had been willing to tell everyone about Naruto's birth if he could, and telling his biological mother would have been something that he would have wanted to do.

"Is Akimoto Narumi alive?"

The librarian nodded and looked at him for a good couple of seconds before looking out to the window. Jiraiya grimaced. He would have to question the woman about the father of her first child. _But if she is anything like Naruto then she is going to be terrifying._ That Bakugou Katsuki had a temper like Naruto and if those two were related then the temper gene came from the grandmother.

"I can give you her address," the librarian finally replied. "But I should warn you that Narumi is a temperamental woman."

Jiraiya frowned.

* * *

"_You won't mind if we watch an action movie?"_

Naruto looked over her shoulder to stare at Shouto, who sat on her couch. His mismatch eyes focused on her bright blue eyes before moving to the DVD film in her hands. Would he be fine if they watch this movie? There weren't many movies that the two of them could watch in her apartment since her television was one of those old-fashioned screen.

She should have taken up Jiraiya's offer of buying her a new television screen but she had been too stubborn to accept the offer. Maybe if she did then there would be a lot of movies for her to offer him. _I hope he doesn't mind the movies._ Shouto tilted his head and knitted his eyebrows before finally shaking his head at her.

"If it makes you feel comfortable, Naruto."

Naruto bobbed her head and pulled out her favorite movie DVD before sliding it into the DVD player. It was probably a very old-fashioned movie but it was a classic movie that was loved by a lot of people. She tilted her head. How was the movie considered a classic Christmas movie was beyond her knowledge but it was an amazing action movie if you asked her.

Taking a deep breath, the whiskered teen looked at the television screen before looking down at the empty cover. How did she go about telling him about the mission that she messed up? It was not easy for her to think of how to explain it. The whole time that they walked to her apartment, she tried to think of a way to explain him.

"I fucked up when it came to rescuing my teammate and best friend," Naruto finally said. The whiskered teen cleared her throat and looked at the mismatch-haired boy, who looked at her with encouraging eyes. "He is the reason that I came here since I felt like a failure for not doing my job properly. I only had one job to do and that was to bring him back to Konoha. I failed to do that."

Her eyes burned and Naruto forced herself to smile. It was fine now since it was now nearly three years since that day in the Valley Of The End. Things were different now. She did her best to stop him from going to Orochimaru especially when anyone else in her situation would have been dead. It was just one mistake if she thought about it.

Blue eyes widened when the mismatch boy took a seat beside her and wrapped his arm around her. Even though his right hand was freezing cold, it felt relaxing if you asked her. Whatever trembles she had, faded the more and more her friend rubbed her. She took in a deep breath and placed her head against his shoulder.

"Everyone fuck up," he informed her. _It isn't a huge deal if you failed to bring him back._ The whiskered teen cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes. Hinata tried to tell her that it was not her fault but it had been the wrong timing. With the help that Nejire-chan had been giving her alongside those therapy session, she was ready to hear it.

Naruto took a deep breath and looked up at the mismatch boy. From the sweat dribbled down his face, the whiskered teen knew the boy was out of his depth with trying to comfort her. She cleared her throat. It was sweet of him to try and comfort her, but he was going to have to deal with it for the next couple of minutes.

He wanted to know and she wanted to tell him.

"I should have known that he was going to leave Konoha," Naruto admitted. He continued to rub her shoulders and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. _Why should you have known?_ That was what his raised eyebrow told her. "I knew him the longest but I never saw it coming while Sakura saw it. It makes me think that I was so self-absorbed for me not to notice the signs."

Shouto looked at her for a good couple of seconds, tilting his head to the side as if he was deeply considering what to tell her. Would he blame her like Sakura did? No. He was not that kind of person but maybe he would tell her where she messed up. It would be good if he could tell her where she messed up.

"How the hell are you supposed to know?" Shouto questioned. The blonde knitted her eyebrows together and looked at the mismatch-haired boy, who looked down at her with sincere eyes. "Even if you are his best-friend, no one expects you to know everything about him."

_But it feels like I should have known since Sakura figured it out before I did._ Naruto closed her eyes and inhaled the spicy scent tickling her nostrils. Even though it comforted her and even though she knew he was right…it was hard for her to swallow. No one told her that she couldn't have seen the signs when it came to Sasuke.

She slumped her shoulders and gulped down a lump in her throat.

"His mom treated me like I was her daughter and we used to spend most of our time together," Naruto admitted. Her throat burned as cheerful black eyes flashed before her eyes again. "I should have kept my eye on him after his brother murdered his whole family. I know Mikoto-obaachan wouldn't be happy with me for letting her son to go to a pedophile."

_Mikoto-obaachan would have been disappointed with me._ The whiskered teen rubbed her eyes and sniffed the spicy cologne of her crush. Her throat burned as Shouto wrapped his arms around her. The heat radiating out of his whole body made her close her eyes for a good couple of seconds, stopping the trembles in her whole body.

It felt like she was in a fireplace.

"It is not your fault, Naruto."

Naruto shook her head and looked down at her hands. She could have done a lot of things to stop him from being there for him even more to learning how to make seals. If she had done it then maybe Sasuke would still be in Konoha. _But he would have left anyway._ Once Sasuke had an idea in his head, it was hard for him to get rid of that idea in his head.

But she could have done better.

"I should have tried talking to him," Naruto said, looking up at the mismatch-eyed boy. Shouto closed his eyes and continued to rub her back, easing away the knots on her back. "I should have reminded him of what his mother would have wanted for him, instead of fighting him. I shouldn't have thrown the first punch but he wasn't willing to listen to what I have to say. I thought a good punch would do a trick but I'm an idiot."

Shouto looked down at her and she waited for him to scold her for thinking that violence would have been an answer. Now that she went to Yuuei and had all those stimulation with All Might, she realized she shouldn't have hit him. _Aizawa-sensei would have been disappointed with me too._ God, what the hell had she been thinking when she attacked him?

_You are going to abandon our new family for revenge!_

Right that had been her thought.

Naruto gulped down the lump forming in her throat and the blonde felt her chest tightened. Even though they had been crappy in their treatment towards her, it really did feel like they had been a family one point. One toxic family but a family either way. A hand combed through her blond hair, detangling her tangles and Naruto looked up at Shouto.

"What happened next?"

Crazed black eyes flashed through her mind and Naruto hugged Shouto, trying to force back the memories that wanted to consume her again. _What is wrong with me is none of your business…__**idiot.**_ They were friends. They were each other's first friend but it did not matter to him. It didn't matter that he promised never to abandon her.

He broke that promise to her and left her like Mikoto-obaachan did, but the boy chose to leave her.

"W-We fought each other," Naruto whispered, closing her eyes. She sniffed the spice of the cologne and let out a shaky breath when Shouto continued to rub circles around her back. "I used the Rasengan against him and I did try to avoid his heart but I shouldn't have tried to kill him. But I guess he isn't innocent either since he used the Chidori. He nearly hit my heart and I'm lucky that I have the Kyuubi to heal me."

The rubs stopped and the temperature in the room increased, almost making her sweat. Naruto gulped as the heat from Shouto's shoulder burned her, telling her that her friend was furious. She inhaled and looked up at Shouto. Her throat dried up at the clear rage radiating from his eyes. _He wants to kill Sasuke._ The knowledge made her heart thundered against her chest.

"He tried to kill you."

Coldness dripped in those words and it was not the type of coldness that she would feel in the winter. No, it was the coldness that she imagined a person would feel in the blizzard. _He is really angry._ Naruto grabbed hold of his shoulders and tried not to flinch at the intense temperature radiating out of his whole body.

Mismatch eyes burned her, looking so furious that the blonde wondered if he would burn her apartment for what she admitted to him. It was so weird. Only Hinata-chan had been upset of what happened to her. _If you really were my friend then you would have tried harder to bring back Sasuke-kun._ Sakura hadn't even realized just how close she had been to death's door.

"I nearly killed him too."

Shouto clenched his jaws together and furiously shook his head. He moved his hands away from her back, moving back to her shoulders as those mismatch eyes radiated with anger. _Don't make excuses for him._ But was it an excuse? She started the fight but Sasuke looked crazed even when she looked back at that day.

"You nearly died!"

Naruto closed her eyes and gulped down the lump in her throat. It was a mission and she had not been the only one close to death. Neji nearly died that day alongside Kiba and Akamaru. They had been lucky with Choji. If the medic nins hadn't reached on time then her friend would have been dead too. But that wouldn't calm him down.

She cleared her throat and hugged him, hoping and praying that the warmth would be enough to calm him down. Shouto hugged her back, inhaling and exhaling her scent as if he was hoping to calm himself down. What could she say? There was nothing for her to say to him. It was impossible for her to deny that fact because it was the truth.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Naruto asked, looking up at the clenched jaws of Shouto. She allowed her hands to wander up to his jaw and began rubbing it, hoping and praying that it would help him calm down. He relaxed his jaws and Naruto smiled at him. "If Sasuke really wanted to kill me then he wouldn't have miss my heart."

Shouto shook his head and looked down at her. "Don't make excuses for him."

Naruto cleared her throat and exhaled. What should she tell him? Was she making excuses for Sasuke? She didn't know. He had been her very first friend but he told her that they weren't friends. _But he couldn't kill me. _Maybe that was why she couldn't break their friendship. He might have tried to break their friendship but that wasn't him.

He was trying to break their friendship and Mikoto-obaachan would have been disappointed if she allowed Sasuke to continue in a path filled with darkness. She had to bring him back to their small family but not now. Not when the pain was just too raw for either of them. She would allow him to think that she had given up.

"I'm not making excuses for him but I will be careful next time," Naruto answered quietly. "I will do better next time."

The mismatch boy looked down at her and shook his head.

"What if he tries to kill you again?" Shouto demanded with a frown playing on his lips. He clenched his jaws together and looked down at her bright blue eyes. "You are now the one who is being reckless! Sasuke is one of the reason that you are in pain."

_He thinks that I'm going to be in more pain with trying to bring Sasuke back._ The whiskered teen cleared her throat and gulped down the lump inside of her throat. She wished she could say that it would be fine but it would be lying to him. He was the last person that she could lie to and the last person that she would want to hurt.

"You shouldn't worry," Naruto said as her blue eyes locked onto those mismatch eyes that she really liked. "I know what I will do better this time, Shouto! I'm going to be smarter this time."

The mismatch boy looked down at her as if he was trying to figure out what to tell her. She knew out why he was worried but there was nothing for him to worry about. They had been through a lot. He liked her and she liked him. When Stain nearly killed them, it had made her whole body tremble at the thought.

She cried that night and only Shouto could make her cry.

"How can I not worry?" He finally asked. Naruto looked up at those burning eyes and the blonde felt her throat dried up when she saw the pure emotions coming out of his eyes. "I like you, Naruto and I don't want to see you get hurt by him."

She looked up at him and gulped at those words. Time seemed to have slowed down as her heart thundered against her chest. Was this another unintentional confession? Except his eyes looked deathly serious. Her stomach churned and her hand reached out to him. Should she kiss him? But it would be wrong. Maybe he would think that things were going too fast if she kissed him.

"I _really _like you, Naruto."

This was not how she imagined getting Shouto to confess his feelings towards her.

* * *

**A/N: **So Shouto confessed his feelings to Naruto and has a strong dislike to Sasuke. Jiraiya is going to question Bakugou's grandmother and Bakugo and Naruto had a talk. Do let me know of what you like and dislike about the chapter as well as what you think about the relationship between Shouto and Naruto.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I only own the OC.**

**Author Note: I want to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"_I __**really**__ like you, Naruto."_

Shouto looked down at Naruto and stared at her widened eyes. She did not open her mouth but the fact she parted her lips told him of her shock. No matter how many times he repeated those words, the whiskered teen did not say anything to him. The girl was only frozen in her spot.

He waved his hand over her eyes, trying to see if Naruto was still aware of his words. Had it been wrong for him to tell her about his feelings? But when she informed him that he shouldn't worry, the words came out of his mouth. It just rolled out of his mouth because he wanted her to know why he worry about her decision.

He needed her to know why he was so furious with what that bastard did to her.

"I know you like me," Naruto finally said with a tiny smile playing on her lips. Her voice was so quiet that he had to strain his ears to hear her words but the lack of surprise startled him. It made his throat dried up and his eyebrows knitted together as those blue eyes looked down at him.

No surprise coloured her eyes and the happiness in her voice made him frown. It did not sound like she understood what he was trying to say to her. If she knew what he meant then either she would reject him or accept his feelings. It just sounded like she thought that he liked her as a friend.

"I like you more than a friend," Shouto repeated, putting his hands on her slender arms. His heart raced against his chest, ready to burst out of his chest and the blonde still did not look surprise.

Naruto only smiled wider and chuckled, making him knit his eyebrows together. He should feel hurt because that laugh should make him think that the whiskered teen didn't care what he felt. But the sparkle in her bright blue eyes made him think that maybe there was more to her words.

Warm hands touched his cheeks, caressing it with a gentleness that he hadn't allowed himself to feel for a long time. Shouto leaned into her hand as bright blue eyes looked at him. There were a lot of emotions flowing out of her eyes but only one really mattered to him. Happiness and affection. Those emotions made his heart leap to his mouth.

"I know," she whispered, putting her legs between his waist. Shouto blinked and knitted his eyebrows, confused on how the girl finally realized his feelings towards her. "You confessed to me when I started naming every girl that we know. You were quite upset that I didn't believe you had feelings for me."

_I did what now?_

There was no way he could have confessed to her without realizing it, but Naruto wasn't the type to lie about these kind of things. He knew even if her eyes sparkled with amusement that she wasn't joking with him. The little wrinkle on her nose told him that she had not been pleased to find out through this method.

He groaned and pressed his forehead against her own forehead. "I'm an idiot."

A scowl played on Naruto's lips and the girl shook her head like there was no tomorrow. Her eyes narrowed at him, not looking one bit happy of how he described himself and Shouto frowned. He was an idiot. How could he have confess to her the first time like that? It was unfair for either of them.

It was especially unfair to Naruto.

"You aren't an idiot and I won't accept you calling yourself an idiot," she scolded him, pressing her finger against the tip of his nose. Her finger moved from the slope of his nose down to his lips. Heat radiated from her finger and Shouto looked at those twinkling blue eyes. "You are just dense and I like that, Shouto. _I like you too_."

He didn't need for her to explain her feelings to him, not when those flushed cheeks told him everything. Her blue eyes focused on him and a little nervous laugh escaped from her lips. A sense of loss flooded him when the blonde moved her finger away from his lips and the whiskered teen looked away from him.

_She looks adorable._

He curled his lips into a smile and allowed his hands to wander from her slender shoulders before cupping her chin. Blue eyes darted to his lips. Curiosity shone through her eyes. Did she want him to kiss her? Because that was what he wanted to do. He wanted another repeat of what happened between them.

But this time he would respond to her kiss.

"You like me," Shouto repeated. Why did he repeat it? Maybe it was because he wanted a confirmation. It could be a dream or maybe another daydream. It happened to him once. Aizawa smacked a textbook against his head when he realized he had been out of space between them.

Blue eyes softened and gleamed with happiness as her hands touched his cheeks. It felt really good to be touched like this. Was it good because it was Naruto who touched him? That made sense. A content sigh escaped from his lips as he pressed his head against her forehead.

"I like you since around the time of our internship," Naruto admitted. Her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red as her hands moved from his cheeks to the nape of his neck. It was odd for him to hear the embarrassment in her tone but Shouto liked it. He liked it even more with the knowledge that he brought out this side of her.

Curling his lips into a smile, he looked down at her pink lips and wondered if it was okay for him to kiss her. Those blue eyes kept flickering downwards to his lips. Did she want to kiss him? Because he wanted to do it. Things were different now. They liked each other. He could do it without worrying about rejection.

"_You don't kiss someone without permission."_

Naruto's words echoed in his ears and he stared down at the whiskered teen. It had been understandable when Naruto explained her reasons for calling it an assault, even if he didn't really believe that kiss had been assault. From his understanding of assault, it would have to be an unwanted kiss.

He liked the kiss between them but maybe Naruto wouldn't like it if he didn't ask her permission. He didn't want her to feel like she was being pressured to kiss him.

"Can I kiss you, Naruto?"

The whiskered teen smiled even wider and nodded with her cheeks growing an even deeper shade of red. He liked everything about Naruto but he liked seeing this side of her even more. With this knowledge, he brushed his lips against her. It was a gentle kiss. One that he wanted to pour everything to her.

He wanted her to understand that he would never hurt her intentionally.

The shudder from her body and the fact that she pushed herself against him, hand combing through his hair told him that she understood. His chest tightened and he knew he should stop the kiss for them to breath. But his temperature was going haywire and he couldn't bring himself to stop kissing her.

His hands wandered up her back as Naruto pushed herself up against him. It felt good to kiss her. It felt even more amazing to know that she liked him. Why hadn't he figure it out earlier? And did Naruto's hands always felt good against his back? Well he didn't know but he wanted to claim her lips again.

It was with deep regret that he pulled away from her lips.

He panted as Naruto looked up at him with flushed cheeks. Her lips were bruised, a reminder of how he had been the one to kiss her. The dazed look in her eyes brought out a wider smile from him. This was proof that he had been the one to kiss her and that they were together without any misunderstanding between them.

That they were on the same page with their feelings.

"So does this count as our first date?" Naruto finally asked with a smile playing on her lips. She sounded so breathless as her hands continued to play with his hair and her blue eyes looked at him with curiosity. Shouto paused and pulled the girl even closer to him, dropping his head to smell her citrus scented hair.

He wanted to be careful with his answer.

"Wouldn't the amusement park count as our first date?" He questioned her, rubbing her arms. It felt nice for him to hold her like this and maybe he was being silly for considering that day as their first date. He hadn't realized he liked her until after the event but it felt right to claim it as their first date.

Naruto looked up at him and smiled, not looking one bit upset that he claimed it as their first date. A little laugh escaped from her lips as the blonde pressed a kiss against his chin before looking up at him with sparkling eyes. She rubbed his back and tilted her head to the side as if she was deep in thought over his question.

"Really? Then does that mean you consider our study dates as dates as well?"

He bobbed his head. "Yes since you knew the whole time that I like you."

A giggle escaped from the whiskered teen and Shouto smiled even wider. He did not know how long they were going to be together but Shouto knew that he never wanted to see her get hurt. He never wanted her to think that it was okay for her to give excuses for what her childhood friend did to her.

"So are you up for a proper date tomorrow where we are both aware that we are on a date?" Naruto asked, quirking her lips into a smile. "And can we go back to watching the movie?"

Shouto nodded and smiled slightly when the girl kissed him again.

* * *

"_How were your exams, Katsuki?"_

Bakugou looked away from the bowl of rice and stared at his grandmother, who tilted her head at him. He could guess why his mother decided to invite his grandmother to their house after his exams and it might have to do with the fact that it was getting closer to that day. But even if he understood, he didn't like having the old woman in the house.

_If I don't answer her question then she will force it out of me._ The blond-haired boy curled his lips into a scowl and took another whiff of the heavenly scented chicken before looking at his grandmother. He knew the old woman had no problem of using her Quirk to make him talk.

He hated her damn Charmspeak.

"I passed the damn exam," Bakugou finally answered, shoving his chicken to his mouth. His mother and father bobbed their heads, not looking one bit surprised by his irritated tone. His grandmother did not blink, only narrowing her eyes at him and clicking her tongue at his behaviour. The blond-haired boy only scowled at the old woman.

He didn't have to be polite to her, not when the old crone made it a habit of being just as rude as him. Besides, it was not like there was a mood for him to boast about his victory. Not when Whiskers told him of the discrimination she faced for having a beast inside of her stomach.

Just the memory of her fake smile made him want to punch the wall.

"You don't sound happy, Brat," Narumi commented as she put down her chopsticks. Her bright blue eyes gazed at him, telling him that she wanted to know why he was unhappy about passing an exam. Bakugou scowled, only to pause when those blue eyes darkened to the point that it reminded him of a storm.

From his own experience, Bakugou knew that his grandmother was threatening him with her Quirk. Whenever the Old Crone activated her Quirk, she could get anything out of a person. She did not only get information from her Quirk but his grandmother could persuade anyone to do anything that she wanted.

It would have been a good Quirk for journalism or politics but his grandmother decided to pursue a career in social services.

"I had to listen to Whiskers," Bakugou finally grumbled. His parents blinked while his grandmother looked at him like he was being ridiculous for being upset that he had to listen to Naruto. But the Old Crone didn't understand anything. If he had been paired with just Deku then the chances of them capturing All Might would have been impossible.

He tightened his grip on his chopstick and fixated his eyes on the steaming chicken before him. If it had been just Deku and him then he knew he wouldn't have listened to whatever shit that the younger boy would have to say to him. Not only because of the fact that Deku kept looking down on him but because Deku would never consider the idea of fighting All Might.

"Are you catching feelings for this Whiskers and that is why you are grumbling for not coming up with the idea?" His grandmother retorted, rolling her eyes at him. Bakugou stilled and felt bile rising up to his throat while his mother looked at him with alarm. "You must have really wanted to show off to this Whiskers, Katsuki."

_I don't like her in that way!_ Bakugou growled and wrinkled his nose as he moved his food to the side. Liking Whiskers in that way was impossible if you asked him. Not only because of the damn fact that there was a huge possibility of her being his half-cousin, but also because of her feelings towards IcyHot bastard.

"Whiskers likes someone else, you disgusting Old Crone! And I don't fucking like her in that way!" Bakugou raised his voice even louder, hoping that it would boom so loud that it would get through his grandmother's head. What part of his words indicated that he would even have feelings for someone like Whiskers? Nothing if you asked him.

Narumi laughed out loud while his mother looked at him with disapproval. _I didn't use motherfucker, this time around!_ Except the reason was because his mother figured out how to make him not to use that swear word again. All his mother had to do was mention his father did it with her the night before and that was enough for him to stop saying motherfucker everyday.

Taking a deep breath, the blond-haired boy took another bite of his food before darting his eyes at his mother. Even though her lips pressed into a thin line, Bakugou could see the relief in her eyes. _Does she also think that Whiskers could be related to us? _His mother was shocked when she caught sight of Naruto and had been very curious to him.

"You won't ever get a girlfriend or even any fucking fans with that foul mouth of yours," Narumi commented with a scowl playing on her lips. Bakugou felt his eyebrows twitched while his mother elbowed him, stopping him from spilling his comment. "I bet ya that in your first interview that they are going to censor every foul word coming out of your mouth."

_I can fucking control of my mouth._ Bakugou glared at his grandmother and the old crone picked up a piece of meat, flickering it straight at his forehead. The chicken smacked his forehead, almost feeling like a beestings and his father groaned. Why the hell were they looking at him with disapproval? The Old Crone started it.

He clenched his jaws together and darted his eyes to the photo of his uncle. Would it be a good idea for him to ask his grandmother about her opinion on Minato-ojisan? If he could just steal a piece of Whisker's hair then it would confirm his suspicion on what could have happened to his uncle. But did he want to tell the Old Crone about the possibility?

It wasn't like he fucking cared about the Old Crone but he didn't want the Old Crone to have a heartattack at the realization that her son was actually dead.

"Old Crone, do you still believe Minato-ojisan is alive?" Bakugou asked with a scowl playing on his lips. He moved the food back and forth as his eyes focused on his grandmother. The smile on the old woman's face faded and the old woman took a deep breath. Her hands trembled and for a brief moment he felt a tingle of guilt for the question.

His mother narrowed her eyes at him, lips curled into a scowl for him to bring up the topic while his father looked at him with disapproval. Akimoto Minato was a forbidden topic in their house especially when his grandmother was in the house. It was okay for his grandmother to bring it up or even his mother but he wasn't allowed to talk.

"Until fifteen years ago, I had faith that your uncle was alive," Narumi finally answered. She cleared her throat and looked at the photo of his young uncle. Sadness coloured her eyes while his mother looked at his grandmother with wide eyes. "But I think it was around October when the picture of your Uncle cracked. You know it is never good news when a photo frame cracked."

_I never thought that the Old Crone was suspicious._ Bakugou stared at his calm, serene grandmother while his mother looked at his grandmother with alarm. The old lady never cared about superstition before, always claiming that those kind of things were nonsense. She never cared when he pointed that there was a black cat or that he cut his nails at night.

His other grandmother did care and always scolded him for it.

"So how was your day, Narumi?"

And that was the end of their conversation on his uncle.

* * *

_I have a date with Naruto tomorrow._

Shouto ran his hand through his hair and darted his eyes down to the shoes on the ground. The high heels told him that Fuyumi was already home while the lack of large boots informed him that Endeavor was planning to work late for the night. No sneakers meant his brother decided to sleep in the dorms tonight.

He almost wished his brother was back home so he could ask him advise on his date tomorrow. _But I doubt Natsuo know how to do with a date that deals with a spar._ Shouto shook his head and looked down at the address Naruto had written for him. It was one thing to spar but where did he take her for lunch? They had ramen today but maybe it would be a terrible idea for him to suggest to go there.

"Shouto, are you okay? You didn't tell me when you were going to be back home!" His sister asked, coming straight to the entrance with eyes filled with concern. Fuyumi curled her lips into a frown and placed her icy hands on his forehead as her eyes fixated on his cheeks. The fact that she checked his forehead and looked at cheeks made him realize that his cheeks might be flushed again.

_I'm more than okay…Naruto likes me back and we kissed again! We are going on a date tomorrow._ The words were on the tip of his tongue but Shouto swallowed it down. He chose instead to keep his expression calm as Fuyumi continued to check him for any signs of illness. It felt weird to admit to his older sister that he was going to have a date tomorrow, not when his sister basically raised him.

"I'm fine," Shouto finally answered, clearing his throat and pushed down the blush that threatened to consume him again. His sister knitted her eyebrows together, only to look at his bruised lips before moving up to his messy hair. Judging from the way Fuyumi squeaked and shook her head, his sister figured out he got kissed again.

No words came out of Fuyumi's mouth, even though her eyes widened to the point that they looked like tennis balls. Was she going to question him? Because he didn't know what to tell her except that he finally confessed to Naruto. Except Shouto knew his jittery sister. Once the words came out of his mouth, the woman would ask him of how he confessed.

If both Naruto and him were normal kids then Shouto would tell her of what made him confess, but he couldn't tell her of how furious he had been with what Sasuke had done to her.

"Did you have dinner?" Fuyumi asked after a couple of minutes. The slight tremble in her tone told him that the woman was nervous about his answer or maybe it was something different? Maybe. His sister was not looking him in the eye, only looking at his shoes or even the limited decorations on the walls.

He nodded and pressed his lips into a very thin line as Naruto's smile flashed before his eyes. _If Sasuke really wanted to kill me then he wouldn't have missed my heart._ There might be some truth to what the whiskered teen said but it didn't change the fact that he did try to kill her. What kind of childhood friend did that? What kind of person did that? Definitely not a good person.

If he ever meet Sasuke, Shouto wanted to burn him for what he did to Naruto. If they were childhood friends then Sasuke should know how much pain the girl went through. They could have talked. The two of them could have fight but not to the point of trying to kill her. How did those shinobi choose who became a shinobi or not? No way a maniac was fit to be a shinobi.

Shaking his head, Shouto stared at his trembling sister and looked down at his hands. _Oh, I froze my hand._ He took a deep breath and increased the temperature of his left hand, placing it on his frozen hand. Water dripped down from his hand, smacking down to the ground andhe exhaled.

He wasn't going to tell Fuyumi of what was making his Quirk going haywire.

"Naruto and me had some ramen," Shouto admitted. He smiled as the memory of Naruto's flushed cheeks flashed before his eyes and her husky laugh echoed in his ears. It had been difficult for him to focus on the movie when the blonde had been so happy. "We watched a movie at her home too."

Shouto rubbed the back of his neck as grey eyes widened at the words coming out of her mouth. He could guess why Fuyumi was surprised with his answer. He would warn her the day before if he decided to hang out with a friend but it had been rather unexpected. Naruto invited him and well going back home when there was a possibility of Endeavor coming back home made his stomach roll.

"Did you have…fun?" Fuyumi asked. Her grey eyes did not meet his heterochromia eyes, choosing instead to focus on the door behind him. Was it normal for a sister to be this awkward? And did he have to talk about the fact that he knew she knew that he had done more than just had ramen and a movie? The idea made him squirm and he decided not to pursue the topic.

They had a rather good thing going between them and Fuyumi didn't need to know every detail. He didn't need to tell her that Naruto cuddle with him during the movie or that he had been more focused on seeing the excitement in Naruto's eyes whenever the actor did some cool move. That was something between them.

He also wanted to tell her how he wanted to confront Naruto about her habit of making excuses but decided against it because he knew the blonde was not ready to hear what he had to say.

"We had fun."

A wide smile broke out of his sister's face as Shouto allowed a little bit of his happiness to leak out of his voice, but then the smile faded and Fuyumi looked at him with concern eyes. Did she figure out that something happen between him and Naruto? That he had gotten upset with what Naruto told him. It was possible if you asked him.

Out of everyone in their family, Fuyumi was the one who knew him best. She had been the one who had been burdened with the duty of taking care of him when Endeavour sent their mother to a psychiatric ward.

"Did something happen, Shouto?" Fuyumi asked, putting her hands on his shoulders. He looked down at his older sister and stared at her encouraging smile. A lot of things happened but the one thing that really mattered to him was what happened to Naruto. For nearly three years, the girl had been burdened with the idea that it was her fault her best-friend ran away.

Naruto acted like she could have seen the signs and that she was the one at fault for the fight between them. It took two people to fight and Sasuke was equally as guilty. No, he was even more guilty. The male could have chosen to listen or the very least not leave their home. There could have been a million ways in which those two settled their differences without killing each other.

He wished he could tell Fuyumi but this was Naruto's issue to talk about, not his.

"Naruto and me were watching the movie and the character kept blaming himself for the trauma they faced," Shouto explained. His sister blinked and nodded her head while the 15-year-old boy removed his shoes. He locked eyes with his sister. "Neither Naruto and me can figure out why he didn't accept the fact that it wasn't his fault…that it was out of his control."

Fuyumi regarded him carefully as if she was deeply considering whether or not to answer him. Could she know the reason for why the whiskered teen would blame herself? He guessed one reason was the abuse she endured but Naruto seemed to be getting better with handling of what happened to her as a child.

She had no problem talking about it or admitting to him that it did hurt her, so why was Sasuke different?

"Because he hasn't accepted the fact that he is the victim," Fuyumi explained quietly. Her voice rung in the air and the clear tightening told him that his sister understood what the character was facing in the scenario. "He thinks it is easier for him to blame himself then to direct the blame on the person who hurt them."

Shouto closed his eyes and accepted the answer Fuyumi gave them. That made sense. For Naruto to blame Sasuke would be difficult, not when the two of them grew up together. Maybe it didn't help that someone got into her head that she could have prevented it from happening. That maybe she deserved it but no one deserved it.

_But I can't make Naruto realize that she is a victim, all I can do is be there for her and listen to what she has to say._

* * *

**Author Note: **So Naruto and Todoroki have their first kiss and are going to go on a date. Bakugou's grandmother has a feeling that her son is dead and Todoroki decides that he can only be there for Naruto.

Here are a couple of questions to ask:

**Question 1**: What do you think of the glimpse that you have of Narumi? And what do you believe or hope her relationship with Naruto be like?

**Question 2:** Do you think Naruto make excuses for Sasuke like Shouto believe? And that she hasn't accepted the fact that she is a victim?

**Question 3: **Which hero would you like to see Naruto be paired with in her next internship? The choice is up in the air for me so I would like to hear your thoughts on who you think she should be paired with.

Do let me know of your thoughts on this chapter and what I can do to improve the story.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I only owned the Original Characters.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_To make this fair for the both of us, you don't use your Quirk and I will use my minimum strength!"_

Naruto smiled and focused her attention on Shouto as she stretched her legs. Even though she knew she could defeat him with his Quirk, the point of this spar wasn't just so that she had a chance to ogle him without feeling ashamed of herself. The point of this spar wasn't just so she had a chance to touch him but also to point out his weak spots.

After all neither of them wanted a repeat of what happened with Stain.

"And what about your speed?" Shouto asked as he began to stretch his own leg. His heterochromia eyes flashed with curiosity and the whiskered teen hummed. She darted her eyes to the sunlight raining down upon them before darting to the other window. The gardener eyed the two of them, looking at them like he didn't know if it was a good idea for them to be there without supervision.

Naruto tore her eyes away from the window and regarded the mismatch-haired boy, who still had his eyes fixated on her. Her speed? Well it would be unfair if she used her chakra enhanced speed against him. Without the use of Shouto's Quirk, he would never be able to try and match her own speed. Even during the Sports Festival, she didn't use her full speed since it would look unnatural to the whole world.

"I guess if I try to use my minimum strength then I should try and go for the speed that I could achieve without chakra," Naruto mused. The whiskered teen stood up and rubbed her shoulder as her boyfriend fixated his eyes on her hair. "After all there wouldn't be any chances for you to beat me."

Shouto nodded and regarded her with thoughtful eyes as he rubbed his shoulders. "It is only fair since you are limiting me when it comes to my Quirk."

Humming, the whiskered teen accepted his answer and observed her boyfriend. Even though she agreed with the suggestion of limiting her speed, there was one thing that concerned her. Could she limit her strength to the point that Shouto didn't get sent to the hospital? Tomoyo wasn't here to heal him with medical ninjutsu.

"I know I was the one to suggest this to you but I still haven't completely learnt how to control my strength," Naruto admitted with a sheepish smile. In her eagerness of trying to get Shouto to confess his feelings and her happiness of yesterday, this tiny important detail escaped her attention. "I haven't gotten around of asking Hatsume-chan of making me a special training dummy."

Shouto curled his lips into a small smile, which made her heart beat like she was in some kind of roller-coaster and the blood inside of her rushed straight to her face. It had always been clear to her that the younger boy had a beautiful smile. A smile that suited the goodness inside of him. A goodness that amazed her even after she learnt of what Endeavour did to his mother.

"I won't think you are terrifying like Mineta."

Naruto wrinkled her nose. "Even though he thinks I'm terrifying, it doesn't stop him from trying to ogle my breasts or ass."

"Threatening to freeze him didn't even stopped him," Shouto agreed as his eyes quickly snuck a glance at her sports bra. Naruto raised a single eyebrow and cleared her throat, only to let out a laugh when the younger boy blushed as red as a tomato. It was adorable to see him like this and maybe the next time she offered to spar with him, she should bring a shirt.

She smiled and darted her eyes to the white singlet shirt clinging to his body. _Well if he wears like that then I should ask him to wear a proper shirt too._ Those muscular arms and that slight glimpse of his abs did funny things to her stomach. Then again everything about the boy in front of her made her have butterflies in her stomach.

Blue eyes widened when Shouto charged straight at her, swinging his leg at her like a tornado. _Cheeky asshole didn't think of warning me._ Well that was fine with her because she could still jump and that was what she was supposed to do. Quirking her lips, Naruto looked down at those widened heterochromia eyes before moving to look at his leg.

The slight wobble of his leg told her that he wasn't used to using that side of his body to fight.

_I will use it to my advantage._

As soon as her feet touched the ground, the whiskered teen knelt down and sweep her leg under his left leg. Shouto tumbled down to the ground and the whiskered teen quickly moved to straddle him. She leaned her body forward and grabbed his hands, binding it against his chest. Mismatch eyes widened as the blonde rested herself on top of his waist.

"Well it seems like even with me decreasing my speed and strength, I still have the upper hand," Naruto boasted with a bright smile playing on her lips. She smiled even wider when the boy squirmed underneath her. _This is fun._ It had been a long time since a spar could make her smile like this. Had a spar ever made her smile like this? She couldn't even remember anymore.

The whiskered teen raised a single eyebrow at Shouto. That thoughtful look in his eyes made her shiver because that look didn't mean he was going to give up. Oh no. The keen look told her that he had a plan. But what on Earth could her boyfriend do with her gripping his hand. Wait, a second was his legs wrapped around her waist too. It was like he was trying to squeeze her like a cobra.

She tried to wiggle and gawked when the boy switched their position.

"I have the upper hand now," Shouto declared, looking triumphant. His mismatch eyes observed her and that little proud smirk made her quirk her lips into a smile. It was strange how things changed if you asked her. A couple of months ago if the younger boy smirked at her or do something like this then she would scowl and curse at him for doing this.

Now she could only smile at what he did.

"You fought dirty by taking advantage over the fact that I was trying to figure out why you were so confident, Homeostasis," She said as her blue eyes kept focused up on those mismatch eyes. Her eyes trailed down from the smirk playing on his lips to the little glimpse of skin that his singlet offered her.

The youngest Todoroki observed her for the longest time, trying his hardest not to look at her stomach but the whiskered teen had seen the boy sneaking glances at her stomach. This was her opportunity to just change things around but it wouldn't be fun. This was supposed to be a way of making things less nerve-wrecking around them.

"It is impossible to beat you in a straight fight," Shouto admitted. The apologetic tone in his voice made her smile as the smirk faded into a look of guilt. Did he think she was scolding him? It just surprised her that he would think of doing this. The fact he did this told her that during those times in class that she did influence him. "Even though you lowered your strength and speed, I was still taken by surprise."

Naruto smiled and leaned her whole body forward, arching her back slightly like a bow as her hand touched his right cheek. Even though it was just a simple caress on the cheek, her boyfriend's body shuddered. It was understandable. Even simple gestures like this had been deprived from him. His mother had been taken away from him and from her understanding of his parents, she had been the one to shower affection.

With his mother gone, her boyfriend no longer had anyone to shower him with affection.

"Y'know I am proud that you fight dirty," Naruto purred as her eyes locked onto him. Shouto blinked and his eyes widened when her legs locked onto him. He tried to move, trying to wiggle his way out like a worm but she wasn't going to let him go. Oh no. She was Uzumaki Naruto and she was never going to let anyone beat her. With that thought, she swung him to the side like a pendulum. "But I don't give up."

_Thud._

The younger boy landed flat on his back beside her and without a second thought, the whiskered teen quickly rested herself on his crotch. While now that she knew he had no problems fighting dirty now, it was a good idea for her to give him his assessment. Her hands grabbed his arms and moved it above his head as the boy began to squirm below. Blue eyes widened and her cheeks burned as something hard poked against her.

"You looked flushed," Shouto commented with knitted eyebrows. He tried to move his hand away from her grip but the whiskered teen only tightened her grip as she tried to think of a way to explain her flushed cheeks. He did know that she could feel it? The boy wasn't _that_ innocent. No. He probably thought she couldn't feel it and maybe it would be a great idea for her not to tell him.

Except the boy would question her.

"I-I can feel your _kunai_," Naruto stressed. Her boyfriend blinked and blinked as if he was trying to figure out what she was trying to say, only to flushed a very deep shade of red. He coughed and spluttered before looking away from her. It was adorable to see him embarrassed and a part of her wanted to tell him that it was normal. Sasuke had the same reaction when she did this position.

The older boy had been flustered when he explained to her that it was a natural reaction.

"_Gross! So if Sakura-chan did this to you then you would have the same reaction?"_

Sasuke hadn't been happy with the question and Naruto made it a habit of never doing it again. Except it felt different when she felt Shouto's arousal. There had been no feeling of heat inside of her nor did her heart race like a hundred miles per hour like now. It had been normal. Actually now that she thought about it, the older boy had the same reaction as her boyfriend right now.

"Y-You win," Shouto declared. "So can you get off of me?"

The words and tone might be rude but those red cheeks told her of his embarrassment. Bobbing her head, Naruto quickly scrambled away from him and held her hand out of him. Should she make a joke to ease his embarrassment? But it felt rude. What could she even say to him? That it was natural for him to react like this and that this was a biological reaction? Because he knew that.

Dear god, what did she say to him?

"I will make sure not to do that again," Naruto declared, looking everywhere but at her boyfriend. The windows looked beautiful with their white paint and now that she was not sparring with Shouto, she could see a photo of a single old man looming over the wall. _Why does Kenji-sensei have a photo of his grandfather here?_ Now it felt even more awkward with what just happened between them.

Shouto nodded and cleared his throat. "How did you get so strong?"

The awe and curiosity alongside the slight embarrassment in his tone made her relax her shoulder. This was a safe topic for them to talk about and well she did have some fond memories of her strength. It had been her monstrous strength that prevented the other girls from trying to beat her black and blue. Maybe she should have Aizawa-sensei checked if the strength was actually a Quirk.

She doubt it but it would be cool.

"I kind of always had monstrous strength," Naruto admitted, taking a seat on the ground. She hummed and closed her eyes as Shouto took a seat right beside her, his own leg touching against her own leg. "Y'know until All Might, no one actually told me to try to control my strength? Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei didn't think of telling me to learn how to control it and instead only made sure I sparred with three people: Sasuke, Kiba and Hinata."

Naruto hummed and rested her head against his shoulder as memories of her time in the Academy flashed before her eyes. _Y'know when I think about it, Iruka-sensei was very __**unfair**__ to me. How could he let Lee pass without doing well in ninjutsu while I can at least do it._ She poked her tongue against her cheek and moved her head closer to the crook of Shouto's neck.

His mismatch eyes looked down at her. The question was clear to her and the whiskered teen shook her head. Right now the idea of accepting the fact that Iruka had been very unfair to her was not something that she wanted to talk about. Maybe later in therapy. There were a lot of things that she would need to talk about while playing poker with her therapist again.

Shouto hummed and nodded his head. "Did any of them defeat you?"

"Only one," Naruto replied with a scowl on her face. Dear god, it had been years since she graduated but those shrill laughs from those fangirls still echoed in her ears alongside their taunts. She shook her head and reminded herself that it was not the time to remember them. "Hinata always hesitated when it came to giving me the final blow while Kiba only endured my punches."

The birds chirped as Shouto rubbed circles around her lower back. The warmth of his left hand burned her and made her go closer to him as her boyfriend looked down at her with thoughtful eyes. It had been a concern of her to hint that it had been Sasuke but the fact her boyfriend was only rubbing her back and not trying to burn her meant that he didn't misunderstood things.

Finally, Shouto asked. "Was Sasuke as strong as you?"

"He is faster and more agile than me," the whiskered teen admitted, letting out a little sigh as Shouto combed through her bright blond hair. Her head tingled from his icy cold fingers but it was not bad. She wanted him to continue doing it and if they weren't sweating from the summer heat then she would hug him. "When you fight someone like me then speed and agility become my enemy. You have got strength but I think you need to learn how to be faster and more agile."

_I think if he can cause an explosion with his Quirk then his speed can match Bakugou._

It seemed like her partner had the same idea from that thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Want to help me with improving on my agility?"

Naruto curled her lips into a smile and pecked him in the lips.

"Y'know I would love to help you with that."

* * *

_I always thought Naruto looks like Kushina when she is irritated but she might actually look like a mix of Kushina and this woman._

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck and took in several deep breaths as Narumi eyed him. It was clear to the middle-aged man that in Akimoto Narumi's youth that she had been a beautiful woman but right now she was only a beautiful, irritated woman glaring at him. He guessed the old woman did not like it when someone popped in uninvited. Then again the whole neighbourhood didn't seem to like it.

No, some of the neighbors looked at him with pity and Jiraiya was reminded that the librarian called Narumi as a temperamental woman.

"Who the fuck are you?" The old woman asked, folding her arms against her chest. Her bright blue eyes narrowed at him, reminding him of his ward and his deceased student. It was rather clear to him if he had ever doubt of who Minato's mother had been then the way that the woman glared at him told him of who really was the mother of his favorite student.

She really looked like Minato whenever he got irritated with him trying to sneak a peak at girls in the hot spring.

"My name is Jiraiya, Akimoto-san," Jiraiya answered as his eyes darted at the various neighbor peeking through the fences of their home. "And I came here to talk to you about the case of your missing son."

Narumi looked at him for the longest time, blue eyes flashing with both sadness and irritation at the mention of her oldest child. Jiraiya did not know much about having kids but he guessed that even if the woman had a daughter, she could never forget her first child. But what didn't make sense to him was the irritation. Did she not want to talk about the case? Or did she hate being reminded of the fact that no one had been able to solve the case? It could be either of those things.

He felt irritated that Souta took Minato without even sending a single message to the boy's mother.

"Why?" The old woman finally asked, bristling. She clicked her tongue and raised a single eyebrow at him as she regarded him with narrowed eyes. Those blue eyes inspected him like she was trying to figure out his game. It reminded him of the reports that he read on this woman. Even though the old woman had a Kekkei Genkei that made people follow her, she took a job as a therapist.

The more those blue eyes hardened, the more Jiraiya felt himself sweat. How could such a petit woman be so terrifying? He was a shinobi after all. He fought through two wars and survived. His opponents had been more terrifying than this old woman. They had been fully trained shinobi, who were fully capable of killing people. This petite woman glaring at him shouldn't make him want to squirm.

He felt tempted to tell her the truth but it would be wrong of him to give her false hopes. If it turned out that this old woman wasn't the mother of Namikaze Minato then the one who would be hurt would be this woman's family and Naruto. The whiskered teen hadn't had it easy growing up and after what happened with Sasuke, Jiraiya hoped that maybe this woman could help him with his goddaughter.

Being a shinobi was easy but taking care of someone like Naruto was out of his depth.

"I want to write a book on the case," Jiraiya lied with a wide smile on his face.

The white-haired woman looked at him for the longest time with raised eyebrows. Did she not believe him? His eyes hadn't strayed one bit even though those blue eyes reminded him of blue flames. He didn't even allow his tone to hitch. Lying was his forte. Whenever he would get into trouble with his own parents, they could never not believe his own lies. The only person he struggled to lie to used to be Tsunade.

Only because she distracted him.

"Do you think because I'm 63-years old that I'm fucking senile and believe your lies?" Narumi scoffed and folded her arms against her chest. "I know a liar when I see one especially when I used to work with patients who are compulsive liars."

_I forgot that this woman worked in social services._ Jiraiya winced as those words came out like bullets shooting towards him. Blue eyes looked at him like he was a deprived person for lying to her. His stomach churned and rolled as blue eyes blazed with a fire that made him feel like she wanted to burn him. He rubbed the back of his neck as those eyes continued to wait for him to tell her the truth.

"I think I know what happened to your son," He admitted, trying and failing to keep the fear from his voice. He expected to see the hope in her eyes or even relief but all Jiraiya could see was suspicion, weariness and irritation flashing through her eyes.

"You aren't one of those conspiracy theorist who are going to accuse me of kidnapping my own son to bring down All Might's career?" The old woman finally asked with blue eyes narrowing at him. Jiraiya winced and furiously shook his head while Narumi snorted. "Because you look just as insane as them in my experience. They say the same exact thing as you do."

_I guess she read those websites as well._ He gulped and waited for the elderly woman to walk away but she only stared at him, looking at him like she was trying to figure him out. It was rather terrifying how one look at those furious eyes could make him want to squirm. It was also rather unfair of her to accuse him of being one of those insensitive fanboys, who didn't fully understand of what was going through the woman's mind.

"I can confirm of what happened to your son," Jiraiya finally answered with his lips pressed into a very thin line. "But I can only confirm what happened to your son if you tell me who is his Dad."

Narumi inhaled and exhaled as her shoulders trembled. Blue eyes flared with rage at the mention of the father of her first child and Jiraiya took a step back as the white-haired woman clenched her hand into a fist. _Smash._ The small glimpse he had of the wall showed him a rather small dent, but the fact that there was even a dent in the wall told him that this woman was very much strong.

Probably stronger than the average civilian in the Elemental Countries.

"That son of a bitch was not my son's father but only the bastard who donated his sperm," Narumi roared. The birds on the yard took off while several neighbors quickly went back inside to their house. Jiraiya wished he could do the same but he felt compelled to stand here. "You know who was his Dad? My husband! That no-good son of a bitch ran away with the tail between his legs! Asshole refused to acknowledge that our little four-month fling resulted with me getting pregnant with Minato!"

"_Why do I love Kushina? Her fiery personality reminded me of home."_

That had been Minato's words when he tried to wrap his head around the fact that his calm student loved Kushina over Mikoto. It hadn't made sense at the time especially when Mikoto acted more like Keisuke than Kushina. But looking at this furious woman, Jiraiya understood everything. Boys were attracted to women who had personality traits similar to their mother.

Even though Keisuke did her best to raise Minato, Jiraiya believed that his student had never really forgotten what his real mother was like. It made sense when he thought about it. Until he had written his book, his student and wife had another choice when it came to Naruto's girl name. _Narumi._ But then he had written his book and Minato found that the name suited his child even more. But there was another thing that should have given him a clue on the relationship between Minato and Souta.

"_Why don't I call him Dad? Well a Dad is someone who is always going to be there for you and I don't feel like my father will always be there for me."_

It had been the first time Jiraiya had ever seen Minato hate someone until he explained why he was always too formal with his father. It didn't make sense but looking at the rage-filled eyes of this woman, it suddenly did. His student had always been observant and he probably had an amazing father-figure until Souta convinced him to come here. Of course this was only a theory and he would never know the truth.

But there was only one thing that he could say.

"Minato didn't like Namikaze Souta that much either."

Narumi froze at those words, blue eyes widening at the words coming out of his mouth. This was probably the best way for him to get the confirmation of what he needed and judging the way that those wrinkled hands clenched into a fist, his suspicions were right. Souta was indeed the man that this woman had been arguing with before her son went missing from this small town.

"How the hell do you know that asshole name?" The old woman growled, blue eyes glowing to an intense shade of blue.

_I have a feeling if I admit that Souta was a friend then she will pummel me for the ground for being associated with him._

Jiraiya gulped. "He was an old friend."

_Why did I tell her that? I wasn't going to tell her that Souta was my friend!_ There had been a lot of excuses that came into his mind but there had been something in her voice that pulled him to tell her the truth. It was like there was a magnetic pull in her voice that was forcing him to spill the truth. Judging from the victorious glint in her eyes, Jiraiya guessed that the woman used her Kekkei Genkei against him.

"You know if you don't seem like the type to be a compulsive liar then I wouldn't have to use my Quirk on ya," Narumi explained, looking at him with knowing eyes. The wide smile plastered on her face reminded him of one of those horror movies character that Naruto was too terrified to watch with him. "Now that you know I have no problem with illegally using my Quirk on you, tell me the real reason you are here instead of that bastard ex-fling of mine."

The Toad Sannin looked at those blue eyes that reminded him so much of Minato. It was clear to him that while the boy had gotten most of his facial features from Souta, the Fourth Hokage inherited his eye color and eye shape from his mother. He could lie and tell her that Souta was nearby but that would be pointless. Besides when he had to tell Naruto the truth on her birthday, she would find out her grandfather and step-grandmother died.

Souta died during the field while no one could pinpoint who murdered Keisuke.

"Souta died 29 years ago," Jiraiya admitted with a grimace. He inspected the older woman, waiting for her to either smile at the knowledge that the man that she spent years hating was dead or to be furious that she could never slap him. _I wish I could slap him for doing this and for putting everyone in this situation._ Did the man love his wife so much that he forgot who actually took the time to raise Minato.

Even if Narumi had found someone soon after being pregnant with Minato, Jiraiya knew it would have felt terrifying for her to have a child by herself. He had seen how difficult it had been for Sakumo to raise Kakashi after his wife died on the birthing bed.

"I hope his death had been painful because what he did to my family is one of the things that I will never forgive him for," Narumi informed him with a low growl in her throat. The white-haired woman pressed her lips into a thin line as her blue eyes lingered on him. "Now tell me what the hell are you doing here? The fact that you are here instead of Mina-kun tells me that my son is dead."

Her voice hardened almost sounded like steel and Jiraiya blinked. It was not that surprising that the woman came to the correct conclusion but he expected her to sob, but those blue eyes only looked at him with expecting eyes. _She did have a lot of years to accept the fact that Minato died._ He cleared his throat and looked down at the woman's trembling shoulder.

"I want to tell you of how your son died," he admitted. "And of the daughter that he left behind…a granddaughter who needs you in her life."

Narumi looked at him for the longest time and cleared her throat before swinging the door fully opened.

"Come in."

Well now he was going to enter the lion's den

* * *

"Why do you like sparring?"

Naruto tore her eyes away from her soba noodles and stared at Shouto, who tilted his head to the side. After the two of them were done with their spar and changed into their spare clothes, the two of them did debate about where to eat before coming to a soba stand near the Uzumaki dojo. It had been only fair in her eyes since Shouto paid for her ramen in their first date.

She shook her head, kept her eyes focused on the curious eyes of her boyfriend and offered him a cheeky smile. "Well sparring helps me relieve stress and give me the wonderful excuse of touching you."

Her smile widened when the peach-colored cheeks of her boyfriend flushed a bright shade of red. Was it bold of her to admit why she wanted to spar with him? Probably but it was worth it to see those red cheeks. With the way his lips parted and the way his cheeks burned a wonderful shade of red made Todoroki Shouto cute. It showed a side of him that only she could see. A side of him that not many people from their class could see.

A part of her knew she should be blushing but she wasn't going to pretend that she would never find any excuse to touch him in some way or form.

"So you wanted an excuse to touch me?" Shouto asked, clearing his throat. His mismatch eyes looked away from her as a single hand rubbed against the back of his neck. Naruto bobbed her head and eyed the hand that was nowhere close to his bowl of noodles. Would it be okay for her to hold his hand? He looked done with his bowl and it would help emphasized the point.

Taking a deep breath, the whiskered teen laid her hand on top of his hand and looked at the flushed boy. Even though her whole body shivered and tingled at just one touch from him, Naruto knew she had to clarify things to him. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down her racing heart as her mind tried to conjure up the words to reassure him of their relationship.

"You probably noticed by now that I am a really touchy-feely person," Naruto admitted with a little sheepish smile as her eyes darted to the other customers. They tried their hardest not to look at them but Naruto could feel their judgmental eyes. "If I wasn't certain we would get a lot of attention then I would try to cuddle you…but only if you feel comfortable with it."

Shouto stiffened and Naruto took that as her cue that maybe he wasn't comfortable with the affection that she was willing to show him. Just as she was about to withdrew her hand, the mismatch boy grabbed her hand. He offered her a little smile before stroking her hand. Every single touch made her shiver and her eyelashes fluttered from the touch. It was touches like these that made her feel alive.

"I will like to try but I don't think I can do the cuddling in public,"Shouto admitted, locking eyes on her. "I like what we did yesterday."

Naruto smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears. Since the two of them were going on their first proper date, it meant that she should ask him things. He asked her about why she liked sparring, so it meant she should ask him about something he liked. Actually now that she looked at the serious-faced boy, there was one thing that she never really asked him.

"Shouto, you know in all the time that I knew you, I never once asked you who is your favorite hero."

_It kinda makes me a terrible friend for not knowing that basic fact._ She exhaled and looked at Shouto. The chatter from the table behind them became muffled against her ear as her heart raced against her chest. When it came to his relationship with his siblings and parents, those facts were things that she knew. But the simple things like his favorite hero and his favorite color.

"All Might," he admitted with a sheepish smile.

Naruto hummed and smiled. "Is it because of how different he is from Endeavor?"

"That obvious?" He rubbed the back of his neck and the whiskered teen nodded. Well it was only obvious when she knew of how much he hated his father alongside the fact that All Might was really inspirational. Shouto looked down at his noodles before looking back at him. "But it wasn't exactly for that reason but because of what he represented to me. You know how I used to see my left side as my father's Quirk?"

The whiskered teen scowled, rubbed the back of his hand and nodded. "I don't think I can ever forget and if it wasn't for the fact that I will probably get into trouble with the police for punching the Number Two Hero for hurting you in that way."

Her boyfriend smiled and it looked almost goofy smile that the whiskered teen wanted to peck him in the lips. Except they were in a really public place and this was not the time even if Shouto looked cute. She allowed the scowl to drop, replacing it with a smile and the mismatched boy looked at her with gratitude. Anyone would be furious if they knew of the hell he went through with his father.

"I will love to see you punch him one day," Shouto admitted as he continued to stroke her hand. "But the reason I started to use my left side is because of All Might. When I fought Midoriya during the Sports Festival, I remembered what All Might said about Quirks. He reminded me of the fact that it didn't matter whether I inherited my Quirk from my parents or not, it is more important of how I used it. That I can make my own decision of what to do with my Quirk."

Naruto curled her lips into a smile and stared at him for the longest time. _He looks so passionate when he talks about him._ There was a light in his eyes that made her smile and his tone sounded a little bit excited to her ears. That little excitement told her that this was a really good topic for them to talk about.

"I kind of like All Might even more when you explained it in that way." She knew All Might was a role model but it never made sense why so many people adored him, but hearing Shouto's explanation gave her one aspect to consider. From her understanding of Midoriya, he liked All Might because of his smile or so Naruto saw whenever she caught him practicing his smile during Middle School.

Shouto hummed and looked at her with thoughtful eyes. "Who is your favorite hero?"

_My favorite hero?_ That was not something she had ever thought about here. Then again when she had been a kunoichi, no one really asked her of who was her favorite shinobi. When she thought about it, it was not really a topic that the other kids ever talked about. Their dreams had been mostly the same with the dream of becoming a shinobi. Well her dream had been bigger which was to be a kunoichi. She curled her lips into a smile.

"Growing up, I love the Fourth Hokage since he was a badass," Naruto admitted. She curled her lips into a smile and looked at the widened eyes of her boyfriend before looking down at her own bowl of noodles. "He was the only one that I really thought of as a hero but now there are a lot of heroes for me to consider. I mean Miruko looks like a bunny but she has one hell of a kick."

It was awesome for her to watch Miruko in action in the news a couple of days ago.

"Do you also like her because she is moving up the ranks and you think she is a badass?" Shouto offered her a smile and the whiskered teen flushed a deep shade of red. Was it that obvious that was her reason for liking the heroine? Well considering how she admitted she liked the Fourth Hokage for being a badass, it would be rather obvious she liked Miruko for looking kind of cool.

It would be nice for her to look awesome when she entered the field but it would be a good idea for her to clarify one thing.

"Well it is one reasons!" She puffed her cheeks and then looked down at her noodles. "She is one of the few female heroes in the top 10 and well Ryuku is amazing too but well Miruko is more of a combat fighter like me."

She swirled her head away from the noodles and stared at Shouto, daring him to tell her that she shouldn't admire Miruko for those things. Only she blinked when Shouto looked at her with a smile playing on his lips. Butterflies danced around her stomach at the sight of the smile. Did he like the words coming out of her mouth? He didn't think it sounded ridiculous? Because some people might find her reason to be ridiculous.

Clearing her throat, Naruto raised a single eyebrow at Shouto.

"You look really pretty when you are being defensive," he explained.

_Oh boy._ Her heart thundered against her chest as the mismatched boy locked eyes on her own eyes. There was still a huge part of her who wanted to deny the compliment and tell him that she wasn't all that pretty. But Nejire told her to accept compliments and to try to ignore the demons inside of her. Naruto cleared her throat and allowed the blood to rush to her cheeks.

It was difficult but this was something that she needed to do.

"Thank you, Homeostasis," Naruto flashed him a smile and darted her eyes around the other customers. All of them didn't have their eyes fixated on them, focusing instead to focus on their food or their fellow customers. Taking a deep breath, the whiskered teen leaned forward and quickly pecked the boy's lip before returning back to her seat with flushed cheeks.

Shouto smiled slightly wider and looked absolutely pleased with himself. _If someone ever asked me in the beginning of the school year that Todoroki Shouto was the type to be happy with complimenting someone, I would find it hard to believe._ But then again she was bias when it came to him. She had been really unfair to everyone when she thought about it but she had been really unfair to Shouto.

Now this was her chance to really get to know him and she kind of wanted to know what he liked to do other than training and reading manga.

"Homeostasis, do you have another hobby other than reading manga and training?"

He hummed and nodded his head. "I like visiting my mother."

Nodding, Naruto stared at Shouto and frowned at the hesitant look in his eyes. Did he think she would judge him for considering it a hobby? Because there was no way in hell that she would ever judged him. If anything she admired him for it. Visiting his mother was probably not easy for him, not when there were just so many issues for them to go through. It was even cute he thought that was a hobby.

"Now I know that you have three hobbies: reading manga, visiting your Mom and training!" The blue-eyed teen chirped with a bright smile. Now all she needed to do was try to figure out what kind of manga Shouto loved to read. That could be another thing for them to discuss and well she could give them ago. Maybe once she caught up with it then they could talk about it too.

The mismatched boy smiled and looked at her like he understood where she was going with this talk. "Since I talked about what I liked to do in my free time, what do you do when you aren't training? Besides correcting your mentor's…books."

_At least he is trying not to judge Ero-Sennin which is more than I can say for myself._ She rubbed the blood leaking out of her nose as the memory of the last scene she corrected flashed through her mind. Do women really say those words when they have sex? Or was Jiraiya being even more intense? She could definitely confirm that his description of the female body was way too exaggerated.

The pervert didn't even try to take her advice of making the body type more realistic.

"I used to love pranking people whenever I had free time," Naruto finally said, shaking her head. "But well I stopped doing that after a month of becoming a genin. Now I just like drawing, watering plants and cooking."

Shouto frowned and looked at her for the longest time before tilting his head at her. Was he surprised to know she could prank? Yeah if people met her now then they would never believe she had been a prankster. Things changed. She had to grow up and stopped being so childish as Sakura and Sasuke would tell her whenever they found out about some prank she had done.

"Why did you stop pranking people?" Shouto asked, knitting his eyebrows together. "You loved it, didn't you?"

_I really did because it always cheered me up whenever I had a crappy day._

"No one took me seriously whenever I pranked," Naruto answered. She removed her hand away from Shouto's hand and fiddled her fingers together as memories of the past flooded through her mind. "And well Sasuke and Sakura really hated it whenever I did it. They called me childish and well Kakashi-sensei didn't think I was taking seriously when I did it. So to prove to them that I was taking things seriously and that I can be mature…I stopped."

Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line, not looking pleased with her answer. Was he upset that it took her that long to change her mind on playing pranks? Because it had been really difficult for her to stop it. There had been so many wonderful opportunities for her to do her pranks. Opportunities she chose to look the other way when really it would have been a perfect way for her to cheer up.

"But _you_ love it and that was a part of you," Shouto said, frowning and knitting his eyebrows together. "They shouldn't have expected you to change for them, not when they should have done something in return for you. Was there anything that you wanted them to stop doing?"

_What I wanted?_ That was actually the first time someone ever asked her that question. Hinata-chan believed her when she said that it had been time for her to put it behind her. Then again if her friend knew the real reason for the removal of pranks, she would have been livid. _Was there anything I wish they stopped doing?_ Memories of their missions and training flashed before her eyes and Naruto nodded.

"When I look back, there were a lot of things that I wished they stopped doing," Naruto admitted, quirking her lips into a smile and looking straight at those curious mismatch eyes. "I wished Sasuke would stop being so irritated that we have been stuck doing D-rank missions and that Sakura stopped flirting with him and demanding for dates. I wanted her to fucking trained especially after that shit in the Chuunin Exam."

_When she cut her hair and got those bruises, I had the fucking stupidity to think she took things seriously. _The whiskered teen clenched her jaws together and looked down at her hands. For most of her life, she thought Hinata, her and Tenten had been weird for prioritizing being a shinobi first. But then Temari happened and she realized that they weren't weird.

Now in Yuuei High, she saw other girls with big dreams and who had goals for themselves that didn't revolve around a boy.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shouto asked.

Naruto slumped her shoulders.

"Because who cared about what _I _ think? If I told Sasuke to suck it up then Sakura would accuse me of being jealous," Naruto grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Kakashi-sensei? He would think I'm the one being childish and not Sasuke. Sometimes whenever I was with the three of them, it felt like they didn't really believe I knew what I was doing. It didn't really feel like that they valued my opinion."

That was actually the first time she vocalized her opinion to someone. Not even Hinata knew of this tiny fact, not because she didn't trust her. Oh no. Out of everyone in her life, Hinata had and would always be one of the people that she would trust. But telling this to her best friend would be admitting that things hadn't been getting better than them and well…her best friend could be terrifying when angered.

"What about telling Sakura to stop daydreaming and telling her that dating wouldn't get her nowhere if she dies in the line of duty?" Shouto looked at her with heated eyes and Naruto looked down at her hand. "You told me that communication is important in a team so why didn't you try to tell her? Naruto, you convinced Bakugou to team up with you and Midoriya and we both know that he is an ass."

It was a serious conversation but those words did make her laugh.

"Bakugou might say he dislikes me and Midoriya but I know he fucking cares about us," Naruto answered, curling her lips into a smile. A sigh escaped from her lipsss. "He is the kind of shitty guy who says he doesn't give a shit if you are sick but brings you soup anyway. Sakura? If I'm not Sasuke or even Kakashi-sensei then she won't listen to me."

Shouto frowned. "How do you know that? Have you tried?"

_She is just annoying._

"Sakura called me annoying," Naruto answered quietly, looking down at her noodles as the memories washed over her. "She thinks I don't understand anything about her and that I was always trying to get in the way of her and Sasuke. The thing was that I wanted to get to know her better and I tried asking her to eat with me and Hinata-chan but she refused. How do you get to know a person if they don't…"

_Oh._

Shouto looked at her with confusion, almost as if asking her to finish that sentence, and Naruto held her hand up. _I put most of the effort when it came to Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi._ Not once did they ever ask her of why the hell she came late to their meeting. Not once did Sakura bother to ask her of the reason for those meals. When she saved her from Gaara, the girl didn't even bother to say the words…_thank you._

Sasuke told her that Sakura knew and argued with him over the idea that she had been the one to do it. Only when he put down his foot, did the girl believed him. Even then the girl didn't even acknowledge the fact that she rescued her.

"How do you get to know a person if they don't put the effort in?"

_(That was the day that Naruto began to __**fully**__ acknowledge that something was not right in her relationship with her teammates and teachers)._

* * *

**Author Note:** So Naruto is beginning to fully realize that something is wrong in her relationship with her teammates. Jiraiya is terrified of Narumi and we have a little bit of a background of the relationship between Minato's parents. Here are a couple of questions for you to ponder on:

**Question 1: **How do you think Narumi will take what Jiraiya had to say?

**Question 2: **What do you think of the whole confrontation between Narumi and Jiraiya as well as the conversation between Naruto and Shouto?

**Question 3**: What do you think of the rewrite so far? And would you like to have these long chapters?

Please do review and let me know of your thoughts of the chapter or the series in general.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the OC.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

_Souta doesn't actually want to get to know me._

Akimoto Minato might be only six-years-old but he wasn't stupid. Even though his biological father stared at him with a bright smile playing on his face and held an All-Might action figure in his hand, he knew he didn't really love him. Maybe if his stepfather wasn't a wonderful father to him, he would honestly believe that the man standing in the playground actually loved him.

Glancing over his shoulder, Minato stared at the pig-tails of his little sister. Mitsuki smiled brightly as she played with the other children in the monkey bars. At the age of four and half, his little sister didn't fully understand the difference between them. His baby sister understood they didn't have the same fathers and that he didn't have a Quirk like her.

His baby sister didn't understand why kids bullied him for not having a Quirk and Minato wished he knew how to explain things to her. He also didn't want his sister to turn around and see the man who kept coming over their house. The man who couldn't take no for an answer. _Mina-kun, do you want to get to know this man? He is your biological father. _That had been his mother's question when Souta came the first time.

He didn't want to get to know him and made it a point to tell him but Souta was persistent.

"_Why are you here?"_ Minato asked, staring at the smiling man looming over him. _"I told you that I don't want to get to know you. Mom told you not to bother me."_

He should be polite like how his Dad taught him but Namikaze Souta was starting to really irritate him. What part of the word no did this man not understand? It was an easy word to understand. A word that a baby could easily say and he would know. Minato could remember how Mitsuki's first word had been no followed by Mina.

Souta did not blink or even looked at annoyed by the rude tone coming out of his voice. He only darted his eyes to the children, who glanced at them but never once came close to them. It didn't really surprise Minato. Most of the children in the playground didn't like him, only bothering him when they wanted someone to bully him.

The only other kid nice to him was Mitsuki's friend, Inko.

"_I want to get to know you; you are __**my**__ only son,"_ Souta answered with a smile plastered on his face. The blond-haired man knelt down till they were at eyelevel and held out the newest All-Might action figure to him. Minato looked at those green eyes before eyeing the figurine held out to him. _"I heard from Narumi that you like All Might and I got this for your birthday."_

_You can't bride me with gifts! I'm not three!_ Minato stared at the figurine and took the toy before eyeing the smiling man. A lot of kids in his situation would probably be happy with a gift from their father. A father who only decided to come back to their life but he wasn't blind. All his teachers and even his parents called him perceptive.

He didn't fully understand what it means but Minato guessed it meant he picked up things that the other kids don't pick up on.

Minato had always known that Tsubasa wasn't his father. The man played with him, encouraged him with his dreams and listened to him but he wasn't the one who made him. It did not really matter to him. Tsubasa loves him and Minato loves him back. He knew the man would always be there for the important events like his Sports Day the other day.

Souta knew about it but didn't even bothered to come.

Minato was six but he knew the difference of a Dad and a Father. Souta was his Father but Tsubasa would always be his Daddy.

"_Why now?"_

His Father blinked, almost taken back by his question and Minato just regarded the man with suspicious eyes. He knew it had been wrong to overhear his parents talking but he had always been a curious child. So when his Dad asked his Mom for the reason of his father's reappearance, his Mom had been just as confused as his Dad.

"_I don't like the fact he came back! He had his chance of being in Minato's life when you told him you were pregnant with him but that bastard denied him! He came back for a reason, Naru!"_ That had been his Dad's argument with his Mom and Minato quickly ran back to the room he shared with Mitsuki.

Now he asked the question his Dad had been too polite to ask.

"_Well I thought about you,"_ Souta explained, hovering his hand over his hair. The blond-haired boy scooted away from his Father and clutched his All Might figurine closer to his chest. _"And I wanted to know how Narumi and her husband have been taking care of you."_

_Liar. _Minato clenched his jaws together and stared at those green eyes that never really looked at him. Sure his father stared at him but his eyes weren't focused on him. They focused more on the children probably playing behind him. It was a way that made it seem like his father stared at him and Minato would have believed it.

But his teacher did the same thing and actually explained it to him when he asked why one of his eyes didn't look completely focused on him.

"_You never cared about me before,"_ Minato pointed out. Not once in his birthday did that man ever try to give him any presents and from what he understood between the conversation of his parents, he hadn't been there on the day he had been born. Tsubasa had been there as the photo on their mantlepiece showed him.

He didn't really care about Souta since he had never been a part of his life, but it was rude for him to come into his life like he was always meant to be his life.

"_Things changed,"_ his father fibbed, not looking him in the eyes. _"I was young when your Mom and me had you! I wasn't ready to be a Father."_

Minato only stared at the blond-haired man, eyebrows raised at the excuse given by his father. Mum had been only 23 when she had him and the blond-haired boy knew because he did the Math. Souta was only 32 as he had told him when he asked him how old he was. He must have been 26 when he had been born.

Not as young as his Mom.

"_Mom was young too."_

Green eyes widened at his words as if he didn't expect him to say those words and Minato looked down at the ground. He pushed back and forth the rocks, trying to think of why this man kept insisting to be apart of his life. He didn't love him. Not once did the man ever call him by his name and his father might smile but Minato could see the resentment in his eyes.

If he didn't want to be apart of his life then he didn't have to be in it. He had been doing fine without having Souta in his life. He had a little sister and a pair of loving parents, which was more than some people could say. It was better than that older kid in his neighborhood, who seemed to really hate heroes.

From what Minato heard from one of the older kids, that older kid had been sent to foster care by his mother.

"_A lot of things happened in my life,"_ the blond-haired man finally explained, putting both hands on his shoulders._ "Two years ago, I met the love of my life and we got married a few months after meeting each other. We tried to have kids and we even went to a doctor, who told us that my wife can't have kids. My wife wants kids and you are my son."_

_You want to take me to make your wife happy, not because you love me._ He had a Dad but his heart broke at those words coming out of the man's mouth. It broke a million pieces to know that this man came to him because he wanted to make his wife happy. His heart throbbed because Minato understood everything coming out of his mouth.

If his stepmother could have children then Souta would have never came looking for him.

"_Why should I go with you?"_

He had no reason to make this unknown stepmother of his happy.

"_Narumi is a great Mother to you and I like Tsubasa even if he looks at me like I'm a thief,"_ his father cleared his throat and looked at a few of the children, eyes lingering on his sister before looking back at him. _"But the fact is that you aren't happy here. How many times have I caught you being bullied because you don't have a Quirk?_"

Minato hunched his shoulders and looked down at his feet. Too many times. Up till his fourth birthday, he had been hoping to inherit his Mom's Quirk. It would have been a wonderful Quirk for heroics and that was what he wanted to be when he grew up…a hero. Everyone told him that he couldn't be a Hero, not when he lacked a Quirk.

But if he trained hard and developed his brain then there was a huge chance that he could become a Hero.

"_I handled them fine,"_ Minato finally said once his father cleared his throat. The man raised a single eyebrow and pointed to the faded burnt marks on his hand. The burnt marks that one of the older boys had given him because he tried to fight back against the bullying. It had been silly of him to fight someone who could shoot lasers with their eyes.

But he tried and well he probably should get a cream to make sure his Mom didn't find out about it. _She is going to give an earful to that boy's parents and yell at my Principal again._ There was no point but his parents didn't care. They didn't understand that the moment he had been declared Quirkless, the whole world became unfair.

Not all men were born equal and that was a fact Minato came to accept.

"_You know if you come with me then you won't have to deal with this kind of bullying,"_ Souta informed him. His green eyes darted to the other children before looking back at him. _"The place where my wife and I live don't have many people with Quirks. No one will judge you for not having a Quirk and you can have a job that is similar to being a hero. Don't you want to live in a world where you won't face discrimination?"_

Minato stared at his father and then looked at his smiling sister before making the decision that changed his life.

He chose to follow his father in order to have a life where he didn't face discrimination.

_(Years later when Naruto asked him why he made her go through the very thing that he went through, Minato would admit that he had been only human and like all humans…he had been naïve. That naivety costed his daughter's happiness and mental health)._

* * *

"_Your son was a wonderful shinobi, who graduated at the top of his class at the age of 9."_

Narumi felt her eyebrows twitched as Jiraiya picked up the photo of Minato's birth. It had been a challenge for her to wrap her head around the idea of Chakra and the Elemental Countries. It made sense when she considered how no one could find out where Souta took or that weird X-ray of her son's foot. She clenched her jaws together and looked down at her wrinkled hands.

Shinobi was a career that was very much similar to being a soldier and it was an admirable career…but for an _adult_.

"You made my _9-year-old _son a shinobi? My son was a kid!" Narumi growled, swirling her head at Jiraiya. The white-haired man gulped as her blue eyes flared with rage. "You don't make children soldiers! Are you people fucking insane? It messes with their brain!"

_I won't be surprised if they have insane people!_ She grinded her teeth together and smashed her hands on the table. The table cracked in half and crashed onto the ground, forming a rather large dent on the floor. Well this made for a very good excuse of getting a nicer table without telling her daughter that she disliked the gift.

"Minato chose this path," Jiraiya said as if that would make any difference to her opinion. If her son became a shinobi then it was fine but not when he was nine. Eighteen was acceptable in her eyes. "He was a genius."

_How does that make any difference? Have you seen what happens to geniuses because I have seen their pressure! _She took in a deep breath and pushed down the volcano of anger that was ready to erupt. Her son had always been smart which was something she always took pride in and something she and Tsubasa would praise him for.

But even if he was considered a genius by those people's standards, she didn't like the fact that they put him through such stressful conditions.

"Who cares if he was a genius! Minato was still a little boy!" She screamed, chest heaving as Jiraiya winced at her voice. If her voice hurt his ears then she was pleased. But the person that Narumi wanted to yell at was that bastard Souta. Did he not care about their son? She grinded her teeth together. "You people could have waited till he was 18 years old!"

_Did they do the same thing to my granddaughter?_ The knowledge made her stomach hurl as she tried to picture her young granddaughter killing people at a very young age. This was wrong. Children were supposed to be in school and learning about how life was. They shouldn't have their mind destroyed by blood and other horrendous war acts.

"There are a lot of children who become shinobi at young age," Jiraiya said and Narumi clenched her jaws together. "There are children younger than Minato who became shinobi, and we were going through a war at the time."

_You talk like that it is okay. _Narumi clenched her hands into a fist and picked up the broken half of her table. It felt really tempting for her to throw this piece of table at the man in front of her. These people felt like monsters to her. Even if they were in war, they don't use children who barely lived their lives to win a war.

What the hell did that bastard do to convince Minato to go from Japan to a place like that?

_I hope he rots in hell._

She had never hated someone as much as she hated Souta.

"Did my son die in war?" Narumi asked, clearing her throat. She forced herself to drop the broken table and to narrowed her eyes at Jiraiya. From her understanding with Jiraiya, her granddaughter was the same age as Katsuki. Only 15 and that meant Minato had to be at least 24-years-old when he died.

Still so young if you asked her.

Jiraiya looked at her for a good couple of minutes, looking almost conflicted at how to answer her question before shaking his head at her. It should relieved her but that gleam in his eyes brought a sense of dread to her stomach. Something told her that she would wish it had been war that caused her son to die.

"For me to explain how your son died, I have to talk to you about his wife." The younger man explained. He put down the baby photo of Minato and walked right back at her. With a heavy breath, Jiraiya put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to take a seat back on the couch. That sense of dread inside of her stomach intensified.

She stole a glance at the photo of her deceased husband and wished not for the first time that Tsubasa was with her. He had been a calming presence in her life. Someone who she didn't fully appreciate until Souta decided he wanted nothing to do with her little boy. Her husband could have broken up with her after learning that during their break that she cheated on him.

She needed that calming presence again.

Shaking her head, Narumi inhaled and looked at the concerned man sitting right beside her. "What does my daughter-in-law have to do with my son's death?"

Did her daughter-in-law kill him? Oh dear god, did her son marry someone insane? Anything seemed possible when you learned that they used child soldiers. The white-haired woman inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down her racing heart. She always hoped that if her son was alive then he would marry someone like her.

"You see Kushina was a _jinchuuriki._"

The 63-year-old woman knitted her eyebrows and tilted her head as Jiraiya stared at her. Jinchuuriki meant the power of human sacrifice and that didn't sound like a friendly term. Did they sacrificed her daughter-in-law for some kind of occult? Oh dear god, what kind of people are they? She shook her head.

It would be a good idea for her to question things before jumping to conclusion again.

"What do you mean exactly by Jinchuuriki?" Narumi exhaled and rubbed the back of her neck before looking back at the white-haired man sitting right beside her. She cracked her knuckles and looked up at the ceiling. "It sounds like you sacrificed her for power or something."

Jiraiya pressed his lips into a thin line, looking almost relieved by her words and the woman didn't understand why. Was it because of the fact that she was hyperventilating at the idea of her daughter-in-law being a human sacrifice? Because anyone would have a panic attack at the very idea. Dear God, did her son accept it? No, the boy would know better than to do it.

She wished she could say she raised him better.

"A jinchuuriki is a person who has a chakra beast sealed inside of them. They are still normal people but they just have access to the chakra beast," Jiraiya explained slowly. Narumi nodded and darted her eyes at the very last photo that she had of her son before looking back at the white-haired man. "The First Hokage—"

"So when you say a chakra beast, you mean like an animal right?" Jiraiya nodded and the white-haired woman pressed her lips into a very thin line as a thought occurred to her. "You caged those animals inside of a human being? And then you give these people degrading names to make it seem like they aren't human?"

_I don't know who I want to pity more, my daughter-in-law or the beast inside of her._ Narumi closed her eyes and rubbed both sides of her head as she processed everything. She didn't know much about chakra beasts but it sounded like they were animals. Animals didn't deserve to be caged in, which was why she always made it a point never to go with her children or even Katsuki to the zoo.

"Well we couldn't think of a good name for these people and well the Bjuu has to be caged," Jiraiya explained, holding his hands up. Narumi snorted and dug her fingers against her hand. "Bjuu aren't just normal animals. They are dangerous and could wreck havoc to their surroundings."

The blue-eyed woman stared at him. "So you think caging those powerful beast is a better idea? Jeez, I wonder what would happen to those beast once they break out of their cage?"

_You don't just cage animals even if they are dangerous! You leave them alone!_ She clenched her jaws together as Jiraiya looked at her like she was insane for having this kind of belief. Well there was a god damn reason Narumi never allowed Mitsuki and Minato to have pets. Not only because it would end up with her cleaning up their mess, but the pity she felt for the animals.

"Well we didn't want to find out which was why when the First Hokage's wife was dying, the Third Hokage requested for someone from her clan to take over as the container," Jiraiya explained, not looking her in the eye. Narumi scoffed and darted her eyes to the photo of her baby boy. "Her clan decided to send Kushina to Konoha from their own village."

The elderly woman nodded and forced herself to relax her shoulders. "How old was Kushina?"

"Eight."

_So young._ Narumi closed her eyes and rubbed her knuckles before looking at the photo of her own daughter at the age of eight. It must have been so terrifying for the child to be sent to a different village. It must have made her daughter-in-law want to cry when she learnt that she was going to cage something so powerful inside of her.

Eight-years-old was too young for such a huge responsibility and she hoped that her son had been good to his wife.

"Now what does all of this have to do with my granddaughter?" Narumi finally asked once she regained control of her own emotions. "What does being a jinchuuriki have to do with my granddaughter? How does it have to do with how my son died?"

Jiraiya exhaled and fiddled his hands together like he didn't know how to explain things to her. Well he better knew how to explain things because she didn't open that door to get some half-assed explanation. That was something she already received from Katsuki whenever she used to catch him bullying that poor Izuku.

No matter how many times she smacked Katsuki on the head, he never stopped with the bullying.

"The seal weakens during childbirth," Jiraiya answered. The woman blinked and curled her lips into a frown at this piece of information coming out of the man's mouth. "No one knows what happened during Naruto's birth but something went wrong during the birth and the Kyuubi came out. Kushina died protecting Naruto from the Kyuubi while Minato sacrificed his life to seal the beast inside of Naruto."

_Was there another way for them to contain the beast? One where my son didn't need to sacrifice his life and make Naruto an orphan? _She wanted to ask him but held her tongue together. It didn't matter but when she died, the first thing she was going to do to Minato was pummel him. How dare he leave his daughter alone to fend for herself?

Her poor granddaughter was an orphan before she could even take her very first steps or even open her eyes.

"Did you raise her?" Narumi kept her tone quiet as her blue eyes focused on the white-haired man before her. The fact he knew this much and her granddaughter was living with him, meant the man was Naruto's godfather. Except those black eyes looked almost guilty and the anger inside of her crept up to her throat.

"I am Naruto's Godfather but I travel a lot which was why the Hokage gave Naruto to Minato's stepmother," Jiraiya explained. Narumi thinned her lips into a very thin line and tapped her finger against her hand. "Keisuke loved children and she loved Naruto like she was her own child but not everyone was happy with the Hokage's decision."

Narumi eyed him. "What happened?"

"Keisuke was murdered when Naruto turned two and we haven't been able to pinpoint the blame on the person we suspected for the crime," Jiraiya answered. His black eyes shone with regret and Narumi looked at the photo of her grandson. _I thought Katsuki have issues but Naruto must be scarred._ Memories like that could still affect a person.

The girl might have abandonment issues and she knew how hard it could be to treat kids with those issues.

"Did you take care of her after that?" Narumi asked. For the sake of her temper and her heart, the answer had to be a yes or she would question Minato's intelligence of putting this man in charge of Naruto. Anyone could have been better than this irresponsible man sitting right beside her.

"I travel a lot in the road and raising a toddler would have been difficult for me," Jiraiya answered. The 63-year-old woman pressed her lips into a very thin line at that excuse coming out of his mouth. "So Naruto was sent to an orphanage but she didn't stay there for very long."

_Please tell me that someone adopted her._ There had to be something good coming out of this because Narumi was trying her hardest not to pick up that broken table and wack the man. Actually she wanted to smack Minato, the Hokage and even Souta for this. All of this could have been avoided if that ex-fling of hers told her where her son was.

"Did she get adopted?"

Jiraiya gulped. "She ran away when she was five and spent nearly a whole year in the streets before the Third Hokage found her begging in the streets for money. He gave her money and an apartment—"

_Whack._

The white-haired woman kept her expression completely cold as Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head. Should she feel guilty for hurting her guest like this? Yes. Did she feel guilty? Hell no. The more and more this man talked about what happened to her granddaughter, the more Narumi began to understand why villains were made.

"_You people are monsters_! What the hell were you people thinking of giving a child an empty apartment to take care of?" Narumi growled, whacking Jiraiya again. The man flinched but Narumi wanted him to feel even more pain. "Do you do this to every orphan who doesn't want to go to an orphanage? You make them live by themselves without thinking of how lonely they feel?"

The white-haired man gulped. "Well no one was—"

"—She was _six!_" Narumi snarled, grabbing the man by the collar and smashing him down on the ground. "Do you know what her bratty cousin was doing when he was six? He was only learning how to do addition! You made that girl grow up way too fast!"

Jiraiya winced and wobbled as he struggled to stand up. The white-haired woman growled and swirled her head at the photo of her only son. What the hell was Minato even thinking? The moment he knew his wife was pregnant, he should have told her. No, the moment he even got married was when he should have told her.

"If this is her grandmother's reaction to her being left alone then I'm terrified of what she will do when she find out that Naruto nearly died," Jiraya whispered. The white-haired woman thinned her lips into a very thin line and picked up the broken table, ready to smack the man for more answers.

If he didn't want to know her reaction then Jiraiya should have whispered even more quietly.

"So my granddaughter nearly died?" She growled and held up the broken table over his head. The white-haired man whimpered and the woman tucked the broken table under her arm and glared at him. "What the hell happened?"

Jiraiya winced and scooted away from her, looking ready to run away from her but Narumi would stop him. If he tried to run away with the tail between his legs then the white-haired woman would use her Quirk against him. Not only did he just tell her that her granddaughter had been by herself since she was six-years-old and now he told her that Naruto nearly died.

"Naruto had a mission," he explained with a nervous quiver as his black eyes locked onto the broken table in her hand. "She and a couple of other teens were ordered to bring back Naruto's teammate, who was trying to go to my former teammate. The boy resisted and well she had a breakdown after that."

_I'm guessing that her teammate tried to kill her._ Narumi closed her eyes and put down the broken table before taking a seat onto the ground. That must have been a nightmare for her granddaughter. It would be a miracle if the girl had been alright after experiencing something that terrible. This was real life and nothing like those comics that Katsuki loved to read.

Actions had devastating consequences.

"Was Naruto very close to her teammate?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Sasuke was Naruto very first friend."

_That would leave a scar inside of her…one that can't be easily repaired._ Being a hard grandmother to Naruto was never going to work, not when the girl was nothing like Katsuki. Gentleness would have to be her approach when it came to handling the girl and getting her to trust him. If the girl was ever going to let her in her life then she had to show her that she was different from the adults in her life.

It couldn't be hard when this irresponsible man was probably a prime example of the kind of adults she had in her life. _I also better make sure that she knows my way of living things. That we don't accept people walking over us._ She pressed her lips into a very thin line.

"Is Naruto in therapy? Or do you people think that after such events that she should suck it up and act like a fucking robot?" Narumi asked, swirling her head at the man. What the hell was wrong with these people? Why did they talk about these things like it was normal? Because this was probably one of the most difficult stories that she had ever heard.

That was saying something when she heard a lot of terrible stories.

Jiraiya winced. "Her teacher in Yuuei suggested that she did therapy and Naruto has been going through with therapy, but I don't think she talked to her therapist about it."

_Of course she wouldn't tell her when it sounds unbelievable._ The white-haired woman bit her tongue from saying those words and looked at the smiling photo of her son and husband. It would be a long time before she died but Narumi had a lot of things to yell at her son. She was going to smack him and asked him of how he had been any different from his biological father.

"I want to meet Naruto," Narumi informed him as her eyes returned back at the white-haired. "So can you bring her around Monday after school? It will give me enough time to tell Mitsuki and her son that they have a niece and cousin."

Jiraiya nodded. "That will give me enough time to tell her who her father is and that you are her grandmother."

The 63-year-old woman felt her eyebrows twitched at those words.

"You haven't told my granddaughter who her father was?"

Jiraiya winced as the glassware shattered from her scream. These people could employ child soldiers but when it came to telling a child about their heritage, they decided to treat them like children. Narumi clicked her tongue and smashed her hand on the broken table. The table broke into a million pieces as blue eyes focused on the squirming man in front of her.

"We wanted to protect her."

Not good enough.

"Protect her? You made my grandchild a child soldier and had her nearly killed and you say you wanted to protect her?" Narumi smacked Jiraiya hard on the face and glared at him. "You lost that right to use that excuse when she nearly died! If you made her a soldier then you have to tell her who her father was."

There was just no excuse in her eyes.

* * *

"_You wanted to talk to me, Naruto?"_

Naruto tore her eyes away from the twinkling night sky and focused her eyes on Gaara as the owls flew across the night sky. The red-haired boy looked at her with concerned eyes as he took the empty seat right beside her at the park bench. Now that was her date with Shouto was over, it was time for her to have the conversation that she couldn't have with the boy yesterday.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you a question." The whiskered teen rubbed the back of her neck and looked up at the night sky. "Do you think I make excuses when it comes to Sasuke?"

The question hung in the air as Gaara looked at her with wide eyes. She knew why he was surprised with her question since it wasn't like her for to ask these questions. Her lips curled into a frown as upset mismatch eyes flooded her mind. Until her boyfriend, not once did it ever occur her to think if she made excuses for him.

"What brought this on?"

Gaara looked at her with a tilted head as his hand hovered over her shoulder but the whiskered teen scooted away. It was nice for him to offer some comfort but she didn't feel comfortable with comfort at the moment. Not when the whiskered teen could still recall how furious her boyfriend had been when he found out what Sasuke did to her.

Until Hinata-chan, no one had been upset for what happened to her.

"I told Shouto of how I felt like I fucked up with Sasuke," Naruto admitted. _I shouldn't have been happy he worried about me._ It was so wrong of her to put her boyfriend like that but it touched her. That anger in him made her feel things. She didn't know why it always touched her heart whenever he got angry for her. "He got furious when I told him that I should have seen the signs."

Gaara hummed and closed his eyes. A sign of him trying to make sense of things if you asked her but what point was he trying to make sense? _Everything is inside my explanation._ She believed the whole story made sense if you asked her, yet the older boy acted like it was the biggest puzzle in the world.

"Todoroki is your best friend here and well it is very clear to me that he has very strong feelings towards you," he explained. "So his words are fueled by emotions."

_Very strong feelings._ Naruto knew how strong her boyfriend's feelings were when he got so furious with her strong. The boy was not the type to be completely fueled by his emotions, always having his Kekkei Genkei under control. But last night had been the first time she saw Shouto wanted to murder someone.

It was the first time someone looked like they wanted to kill someone for her and the knowledge made her chest tightened.

"But do you think he is right?" Naruto repeated.

Gaara closed his eyes and tilted his head up to the sky. He held his hand up to the moon before darting his eyes at her. Those green eyes lingered on her, looking at her like he was deeply considering her question. _I asked him since he is the most objective person I know._ Her mentor would say Shouto was right but Jiraiya didn't like Sasuke.

He brought her here because of what happened to her.

"Yes," Gaara answered. His green eyes focused on her eyes, looking at her like he hoped that she didn't judge him for giving her his honest opinion. The whiskered teen slumped her shoulders and the boy pressed his lips into a thin line. "Look Naruto, it will be easy for me to blame Shukaku for killing so many people…but _I_ chose to kill them. The same thing applies to Sasuke."

The whiskered teen slumped her shoulders and stared at the soaring birds. What could she say? Nothing really came to her mind. She wanted to find counterargument but the fact was…she asked for his opinion. What would be the point if she didn't try to take the time to think about it? Maybe there was some truth behind his words.

Her friend chose to murder those people just like how Sasuke chose to abandon Team Seven.

Naruto closed her eyes. "You know we are kind of lucky that the Elemental Countries are lax about the laws or else you would have been sent to prison."

Gaara did not smile or laugh at her words, only grimacing at the reminder. Maybe it had been a terrible idea for her to remind him of the difference between the Elemental Countries and Japan. But the topic had to be changed because thinking of what happened with Sasuke was causing her head to throb in pain.

"It is because there is no prison that I have to atone for my sins."

_He still feels guilty for what he did._ Naruto hung her shoulders and looked up at the night sky. In a way she could understand him, except she only killed a couple of bad people. People who hurt Eri-chan. That was very different from what her friend had done. She did it to protect someone precious to her while he murdered people who looked at him the wrong way.

It was difficult for her to understand how he could do it so easily while she was still haunted by those terrible men.

She shook her head and fixated her eyes on Gaara. Green eyes flashed with so much sadness and guilt that it made her stomach churned. Would it be wrong for her to tell him that he didn't need to do it? It felt wrong. What could she say to him to cheer him up? Oh. There was that conversation she had with Yaoyorozu after their exams were over.

"You know Yaoyorozu wants to thank you for cheering her up that day in the Arcade," Naruto said, looking up at the night sky. "I don't know what you said to her but it brought back her confidence."

_She noticed that he wasn't happy._ She smiled when Gaara swirled his head at her, green eyes widening at the news coming out of her mouth. Did she feel guilty for mentioning it? Probably. But he needed to know that there are people who were touched by him. Yaoyorozu made him a present and wanted to give it to him sometime soon.

When Yaoyorozu admitted what kind of gift she made for Gaara, Naruto almost had a heart attack.

"I only told her my opinion," Gaara muttered, knitting his non-existent eyebrows together. The wonder in his eyes made the smile on Naruto's lips widened. It was rare for the boy to show any emotions like these. Maybe it would be a idea for her to encourage a friendship between her two friends. The two of them could learn something from each other.

She hummed and widened her smile. "Well that opinion made her day and she wants to see you on Monday to give you her gift."

"A gift?" Gaara looked at her with wide eyes and the whiskered teen nodded. When Yaoyorozu asked for advice of what to give the boy, all she told her was to make a gift from the heart. _She went above and beyond with her gift._ If it was not for the fact the girl was known for being rational, the whiskered teen would have believed the girl had a crush.

But the black-haired girl was known for taking things to the extreme at times.

"It is a gift that she made from her heart."

Those were the best kind of gifts if you asked Naruto.

* * *

**A/N:** So there is a flashback to explain why Minato went with his father and Narumi is one grandmother that you don't want to anger. Naruto begins to have doubts with Sasuke and Gaara will see Yaoyorozu again. Here are a couple of questions for you:

**Question 1:** What do you think of the flashback between Minato and Souta?

**Question 2:** What do you think of the whole conversation between Jiraiya and Narumi?

**Question 3: **How do you think Naruto will react to what Jiraiya have to say?

In the last book I hinted with a Gaara and Yaoyorozu pairing and it is the second pairing that I've been toying with, but would you like to see their relationship deepened even more in the series. Do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and I will try to make the next chapter longer.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original character mentioned.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Ero-Sennin, you are back! And why the hell do you look like you were whacked by a bat?"_

Naruto blinked and stared at the bruised white-haired man, who sat right in front of the blank screen of her television screen. The Toad Sannin did not answer her, only staring at her for the longest time, and the whiskered teen knitted her eyebrows. What the hell happened for him to get so many bruises on his face and back?

It looked almost like he had been caught doing research again, except the lack of goofy smile made her realize that this couldn't be case.

_But I don't know if Ero-Sennin will tell me what happened._ Naruto shook her head and pulled the collar of her shirt. The room was way too hot for her taste. So god damn hot that she could feel the sweat forming around her neck and forehead. Shaking her head, the whiskered teen dragged her feet towards the balcony window and flung it open.

The cool summer wind tickled her, almost as if it was trying to make her smile, and the whiskered teen chuckled. Why would a weather try to comfort her? Today had been a wonderful day for her. Shouto and her had a wonderful date. No matter how many times she closed her eyes, the blonde could only smile at what happened between them.

"I finished my research," Jiraiya finally answered. The heaviness in his tone startled her. Why did he sound like that? Shouldn't he be a little bit pleased that his research was over? Maybe there was something about his research that brought out the sadness in his tone. That would make sense if you asked her.

The last time he sounded this heavy was when he talked about Orochimaru. Was his research on Orochimaru? It didn't look like it. If something happened with Orochimaru then he would tell her. Anything that happened with the Snake Sannin would affect Sasuke. Even though she was beginning to have doubts about their friendship, the whiskered teen didn't want her friend's body to be only a shell of his former self.

She cleared her throat. "Were you doing research on Orochimaru?"

"No," Jiraiya answered, fixating his eyes on her. "I was doing research on your father."

The words hung in the air like a heavy wet blanket, almost choking her as her eyes focused on Jiraiya. Her father. The man that she had been too terrified to ask about. He had been doing research on him. Why? How did he know him? And why was he looking at the picture of Team Seven instead of her? That bombshell shouldn't be dropped on her without an explanation.

Naruto inhaled and steadied her trembling arms. "My father? You know who my father was?"

_How long had he known about my father?_ Her tongue itched to ask the question but the blond-haired girl swallowed down the words. Did she want to know how long the man knew about him? Because she wasn't certain. If it had been for a long time then everything about their relationship was a lie.

It meant he had been lying to her and that was unforgivable in her eyes.

"I taught him," Jiraiya admitted.

_So you knew the whole time who my father was._ Her throat tightened as those black eyes avoided meeting her eyes. For the past three years, she wondered how she would ever find out the truth if the Third was dead. Now the answer was apparent. Jiraiya would have been the person to tell her but that wasn't what made her chest tightened.

It was the fact that their whole relationship was a lie. Did she even convince him to train her? Or did he train her because he knew who her father had been? Why hadn't he told her in the time that they have been living together? She _trusted_ him. Why did adults lie to her? She clenched her jaws together.

"You knew the whole _fucking_ time who my father was, didn't you?" Naruto asked. She tried to keep the anger from leaking out of her tone but god did she want to scream at him. But the neighbors would hear her and would probably complain to her landlord. She didn't want the man to find an excuse to kick them out.

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck. "It was kind of hard for me not to know when you look just like your father."

Naruto stared at him for the longest time. This whole time he knew who she was and decided not to tell her anything. The bastard ate her meals, drank her coffee and used her television without even thinking of telling her who her father was. The Toad Sannin knew damn well about her trust issues and he did this to her.

How the hell was she going to trust him now?

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Naruto finally asked, clenching her jaws together. Her blue eyes narrowed at the white-haired man sitting right in front of her. "You had two whole months to tell me who the hell my father was! You know damn well I have trust issues! How the fuck can I trust you after this? What else you are going to tell me next? I have a brother."

Jiraiya blinked and viscously shook his head at her. Naruto snorted. Maybe a week ago, it would have been easier for her to believe him but how the hell could she trust him now? _Adults always lie._ That was something her younger self came to believe after the death of Mikoto Uchiha. It took Iruka-sensei nearly dying for her to believe in him.

It took her months of therapy to reach a point where she began to have doubts of not trusting people and now she didn't know whether it had been a good idea for her to trust him.

"Your father made a lot of enemies, Naruto," the Toad Sannin explained. Naruto pressed her lips into a very thin line and dug her fingers against the palm of her hand, trying her hardest to control her temper. "And you weren't exactly the model of someone who can keep secrets. The Hokage and I believe that we would tell you when you were sixteen or when you became a Jounin."

_You just said I look like my father!_ The whiskered teen clenched her jaws together and held back the furious tears that threatened to come out of her. How the hell was keeping it a secret going to protect her? If they wanted to protect her then they should have trained her. They should have told her and explained how dangerous everything was.

She might have been a hyperactive little girl but it didn't mean she couldn't keep a secret.

"Who the hell was my father?"

Jiraiya looked at her with such sad, guilty eyes that it made her want to punch him. But a good punch from her would never be enough to unleash the hurt that she felt. It wouldn't be enough for her. Nothing would ever be good enough for her, not when that Ami and Ino tormented her for not knowing her parents.

Nothing could ever fill the pain caused by those two girls.

"Namikaze Minato."

_My father was the Fourth Hokage._ Naruto fell down to the ground and took in several deep breaths, trying to stop the tears that threatened to consume her. Maybe if she took in a lot of breaths then the tightness in her chest would fade away. She wanted it to fade away especially when Jiraiya was now getting closer to her.

His hand reached out to her but Naruto smacked it away. She didn't want comfort from him. _This whole time my father was the man who made me a Jinchuuriki! He was the man who put me in this position!_ A laugh wanted to escape from her lips but she pushed it down. If a laugh escaped then Jiraiya would think she lost her mind.

_I'm going to lose my mind._ Naruto looked down at her lap and shut her eyes as memories of Konohamaru's treatment flashed through her eyes. The boy could complain all he wanted about being the Hokage's grandson but people treated him well. They were too terrified to mistreat him. She didn't get that luxury.

She got scorns and looks of disgust. If the villagers knew who the hell her father had been, would they be willing to kick her by the side? Would they be willing to call her a begger? Would _that woman_ still call her a monster if she knew the truth? Naruto didn't know. What she did know was that it was taking all of her will power not to punch Jiraiya.

"Why the hell did you decide to tell me now?" Naruto finally snarled. She narrowed her eyes at Jiraiya and forced herself to stand up from her kneeling position. "Do you really think keeping my heritage a secret protect me? _I was called a monster_ by the very people who were supposed to protect me! If I look like my _fucking _father then there was no point of you keeping it a secret!"

Jiraiya winced. "Naruto, you have to understand—"

"—Understand what? That you were protecting me?" Naruto yelled, smashing her fist against the wall. "Where was this fucking protection when the Matron called me a monster and that I didn't deserve to cry? Where was it when I _begged_ for money just so I can have one fucking decent meal! Tell me where the hell was that protection?"

The white-haired man didn't answer her, only looking at her like he didn't know what to tell her. _I got bullied for being a nameless-orphan and now not only do I know that I've a clan but my father was the fucking Hokage._ In another world, she would have been treated like a princess by everyone in the village.

No one would have dared to taunt her.

"We just wanted to protect you from the Iwa nins who were furious with what your father did in the Shinobi War."

_But I ended up suffering from your idea of protection. _She sniffed and rubbed her eyes as her heart thundered against her chest. A part of her wanted to smash him against the wall and to kick him in the balls. But another huge part of her wanted more answers. She needed the first question to be answered by him.

"Why did you decide to tell me now?" Naruto repeated the question. Her voice sounded hoarse even for her own ears as if she had been crying but the whiskered teen knew she hadn't been crying. There were no tears flowing down her eyess. The blonde clenched her jaws together, clicked her heels together and forced herself to turn in the direction of the door.

"Because I found out your father was born here," Jiraiya explained. The whiskered teen could feel his eyes burning holes through her back but she wasn't going to look at him. "I don't know what made your father come to Konoha with his biological father, but your grandmother is still alive. She wants to meet you, Naruto."

_Your grandmother is still alive._

Those words had never sounded so terrifying to her. She had another family here but this time she had her father's side of the family. A grandmother who might dislike her or who could take one look at her and not want her. What if her grandmother saw how unpolished she was and decided that she didn't want to get to know her?

Could she handle a heartbreak like that?

_I don't want to be rejected._ She steadied her wobbly arms and made her way to the door. It took one meeting with her mother's clan for everything to go to hell. Half of it had been her fault for being reckless in the Sports Festival while the other half had been their fault. They hadn't been all that welcoming to her until they got the confirmation that she was an Uzumaki.

It was one thing to feel rejected from a clan but it felt completely different to be rejected by a grandmother.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" Jiraiya demanded.

Naruto took in several deep breaths and pushed down the volcano of anger that threatened to come out.

"Where do you think I'm going? I'm going to find another place to sleep for the night!" Naruto retorted as her hand reached out for the door knob. "I refuse to sleep in the same apartment with someone as untrustworthy as you! Y'know for once in my life…I thought that I could actually trust people and that maybe it was all in my head, but you proved me wrong."

_You showed me that people could be untrustworthy._

She really hated how she always ended up trusting the wrong people.

* * *

_If I didn't know Jiraiya will look for me at Todoroki, Bakugou or even Midoriya's house then I would go to their homes to spend the night._

Naruto tightened her grip on the swing as her feet kicked away the pebbles. It might have been over half an hour since she left the apartment but the blonde knew it wouldn't take long for Jiraiya to look for her. He probably didn't care how much she didn't want to be near him. God, he did not care at all if those words had been of any explanation.

The idea of protecting her by not telling her who her father had been sounded like a damn excuse in her ears. The fact he only told her because she had a living grandmother meant that he didn't really did it because she had the right to know. If he truly believed she had the right to know her father then he would tell her.

"What are you doing here, Naruto? It is late!" Naruto blinked and looked away from the ground, focusing her attention on the familiar brisk voice that belonged to her distant relative. Blue eyes widened at the sight of Kenji standing a couple of feet away from her. The Head of the Uzumaki Clan wore a simple blue tracksuit.

Judging from the sweat on his face, she guessed the man had been out on a run.

"I'm looking at the stars," she retorted. There was no way in hell she was going to start talking to the man about her problems at home. The two of them might be student and teacher when it came to Fuinjutsu but they weren't at the stage, where she felt like talking to him about her problems. Not when he made her feel like crap the last time.

Sure he gave her the money that was owed to the clan but it didn't mean she felt completely ready to forgive him.

Kenji stared at her for the longest time before making his way to the empty seat right beside her. He unzipped his jacket and tossed it to her, earning a frown from the girl. Why did he hand her his jacket? The man raised an eyebrow, scowled and pointed to her shivering shoulders. The whiskered teen paused, almost uncertain of how to feel about the sudden gesture from him.

Should she be happy that he wanted her to warm up? Or maybe he was planning something again? He threatened her before. Then again he did give her a lot of money and that was almost an apology from him. But she shouldn't just think that he was now a very kind man. He might be an amazing teacher but that was their relationship.

If she got any closer to him then it might be like another situation with Jiraiya.

"Y'know you are terrible liar like your Mom," Kenji commented. Naruto blinked and swirled her head at the red-haired man, who did not stare at her. His eyes focused on the twinkling stars that decorated the night sky as a weary smile played on his lips. "You have the same tell signs as your Mom. Wanna tell me what made you sad?"

_Let me see my father was the Fourth Hokage and instead of being treated well by the villagers, I was treated like crap._ The words threatened to spill out of her mouth but the whiskered teen swallowed it down. Why should she even talk about it with Kenji? Their current relationship was good enough for her. If she got any closer to him then she would be setting herself up for disappointment.

She already had too many disappointment in her life.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Naruto finally answered. She looked down at the ground and then stared up at the twinkling night sky. It was not like Kenji would care a lot about her feelings. Even if she told him, she knew he would only pretend to care. Sometimes it didn't feel like the Head of her mother's clan looked at her.

He saw her mother inside of her.

He didn't see her as Naruto.

_I'm afraid my newly found grandmother might do the same thing as Kenji._ The whiskered teen hunched her shoulders and stared at the dirt on the ground. What if her grandmother took one look at her and get disappointed that she was nothing like her father? Her father had been a genius. He graduated from the Academy early while she was the girl who had been lucky to even pass.

What if her grandmother saw that she wasn't the most feminine girl and got disappointed? Or that she was the type of girl who got into a lot of fights? She clenched her jaws together. Adults usually disliked her for these two things alongside the fact that she was a jinchuuriki. What if the old woman took one look at her and decided she didn't want to get to know her?

What if she messed everything up again? She didn't want to lose the chance of getting to know her father's side of the family. Maybe they would love her but they might reject her. Her parents might not have chosen to abandon her but it felt like it. She wished she could blame them but Naruto understood her father's decision to make her the jinchuuriki.

She was an Uzumaki and no one else could carry this burden. The village was on the verge of being destroyed and her father had an oath to protect a village. He couldn't be selfish and let her lived a life where no one would judge her. _But I don't understand why he let the villagers know about me being jinchuuriki._ It was his fault that she went through hell.

"You are hungry?" Kenji asked. The whiskered teen blinked and blinked before swirling her head at her distant relative. The middle-aged man leaned against the swing, looking up at the stars before focusing his attention on her. The red-haired man rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost distinctly embarrassed at the question.

Naruto only blinked at him. He wasn't going to push her into talking about her problems? That was rather odd. The man had no problem with threatening her for information but he was keeping quiet now. What was the difference now? She should ask him but it felt awkward for her to vocalize her question.

So she did the next best thing.

"I'm not—"

Her stomach growled, almost sounding like an elephant in the middle of jungle, and Naruto flushed a bright shade of red. Why must her stomach chose now of all times to growl? She hunched her shoulders and looked down at her hands. She waited for Kenji to laugh at her but the man only raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you still going to claim that you aren't hungry?" Kenji asked, folding his arms against his chest.

Naruto scowled. "Fine, I'm starving."

Kenji snorted, looking almost faintly amused by her response and the whiskered teen put her hands into her jeans pocket. Those hazel eyes looked at her for the longest time like he was debating over something. Was the man going to suggest she eat with him and his family? Because the whiskered teen wasn't certain if she wanted to do it.

Eisuke was nice and all but her problem was Akane. Even though the girl apologized to her when it came to her behaviour, the whiskered teen did not want to deal with the younger girl. Time might have passed but the blonde still did not know whether to forgive her or not. _I don't know why it is harder for me to forgive a distant relative over Sakura._ She slumped her shoulders.

Why did it feel like things were more complicated than it should be?

"You won't mind if we have some ramen?" Kenji asked, clearing his throat. "I know a pretty good ramen stand near my home."

_Ramen?_ Naruto felt her lips twitched into a smile at the offer of eating her favourite food. Ramen always cheered her up but she didn't have any money on her. When she walked out of the apartment, she left without a wallet. It was rather stupid of her but Jiraiya irritated her. If she wasn't worried about paying for the damage, she would toss him to the side for what he did.

"You will pay for my meal, won't you?"

Kenji sighed. "Well I'm inviting you for a meal, aren't I? It will be rude of me to expect you to pay your meal."

_Why are you being so kind to me now? What do you hope to gain from this dinner?_ Naruto chewed on her bottom lip, pushing it back and forth as hazel eyes continued to observe her. He wasn't like this before. Even though he had been perfectly kind to her during their lessons, it did not mean he had to be kind outside of her lessons.

Did he think if they had a meal then she would talk about her problems? Maybe. She wouldn't talk about her problems with him but Naruto also knew the man know her father. _Why didn't he tell me?_ The whiskered teen frowned. Well that was something she should ask him. There was also the fact that she didn't know why it hurt less to know Kenji knew who her father had been.

Maybe she should talk about it in therapy.

"Y'know I won't spill everything if we have ramen."

Kenji only sighed.

"Believe it or not Naruto, that is not the reason why I want us to eat ramen."

Naruto only blinked her eyes at him.

* * *

"_You knew the whole time who my Dad was, didn't you?"_

Kenji blinked and looked away from his fifth ramen bowl, focusing his attention on the blond-haired girl sitting beside him. The ramen stand was crowded, filled with so many customers that it took them a long time for them to get their spot. Even from where he sat, he could make out the long line of people waiting to get their ramen.

He couldn't blame them since this was the best ramen stand in all of Japan and Naruto must have agreed with him. The girl was only now on her twentieth bowl of ramen and only now she vocalized her question. Did he bring her here to make her talk about her problems? No. Did he bring her to cheer her up? Yes.

It was wrong of him to think Naruto was like her mother but Teuchi told him that the girl would always cheer up after a bowl of ramen. That was a Kushina thing except the girl ate a lot more than her mother. Just like always, his chest tightened at the memory of his favourite cousin and her habits. It had been over two months since he learnt of her death and the pain was not fading away.

Then again how could it ever fade away? When his eldest brother died during the war, he drank himself silly. _You have a drinking problem, Kenji!_ That had been his wife's words after Eisuke had been born. He only admitted that he had a problem when his wife threatened to leave him, taking away their son from him.

But it was times like these when his throat itched to have a sip of alcohol again.

A sigh escaped from his lips and Kenji took a huge gulp of his ginger ale before looking at Naruto. The blue-eyed girl stared at him with those accusing eyes, reminding him of the question that she just asked him. He exhaled again. Should he lie to her? It would hurt the girl if he admitted he knew who her father had been when it confirmed who her mother was.

"_But you will fuck up again if you follow your instincts!"_ Another voice grumbled in his ear. It sounded like his shitty grandfather and a part of him wanted to throw the glass. He didn't like remembering the old man, not when all of this could have been prevented if he made sure Konoha respected them.

Kushina had been able to find happiness because of Minato and Mikoto but what about Naruto? This girl blamed him for the shit that she went through and it had been his fault. If he hadn't been too concerned of his own family and clan then he would have checked up on Kushina. It had been so foolish of him to think that his cousin would have been happy with just Minato and his genin team.

He shouldn't have expected Konoha to respect the contract set by his grandfather if they weren't there to enforce it.

"It was rather hard for me not to know when your Mom declared rather loudly that she will marry your father and that she won't go through with what the clan expected from her," Kenji admitted. He took another sip of his ginger ale and controlled the emotions leaking out of his voice. "When your Mom is determined, nothing will stop her. The fact that you have your father's coloring shows her determination."

Naruto knitted her eyebrows together. "What did the clan expect from her?"

"They expected her to marry someone from our clan or at the very least someone from a prominent shinobi clan," Kenji answered. He rubbed the back of his neck and quirked his lips into a tiny smile. "Your Mom was ready to do her duty and find someone from our clan to marry but then your father happened."

The blue-eyed girl blinked and tilted her head, looking vividly curious to know the story of how her mother fell in love with her father. _It is so fucking sappy that one of our relatives plans to make it into a movie._ The brat didn't care that it was not a story Kenji wanted broadcasted for the whole world to see but Riku's daughter wanted to direct it.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, frowning. "It wasn't love at first sight for them?"

"Maybe for your father but definitely not for your Mom," the red-haired man informed her. His hazel eyes locked onto the smiling couple sitting across them before looking back at the curious girl. "Your Mom called your father a wimp and grumbled about how he would watch her get bullied but never do anything. But then your father did something to change her mind about him."

Blue eyes widened and the whiskered teen leaned forward. "What did he do?"

"Save your Mom from getting kidnapped by a couple of Kumo nins," Kenji replied. He pressed his lips into a thin line and took another sip of his drink, allowing the drink to burn his throat. "From that day on, your mother had been in love with your father. I once asked that wimp if he loved your mother so much, why didn't he protect her from those bullies and y'know what he said? That was her fight and your Mom was fucking strong."

Naruto looked at him. "Did my father actually say the word fucking? Because the Fourth Hokage was known for his polite manners."

"Why do you think I call him a wimp? I hated those manners!" Kenji retorted. The girl blinked and the red-haired man took another a sip of his drink. He hated Minato but the fact the boy didn't care about Kushina's headstrong personality made him okay in his books. Not everyone would have been accepting over the fact that his little cousin wasn't afraid to fight back.

The men from the Elemental Countries preferred their girls to be a little bit less head-strong, especially males that came from a newly formed shinobi clan. Minato's mother had been the complete opposite of Kushina, which was why it had been strange that Minato loved Kushina for her personality.

His cousin would have no trouble fitting in with the civilians here.

"How old was my Mom when she fell in love with my Dad?" Naruto asked, blue eyes flashing with vivid curiosity. It was good for her to be curious. Kenji preferred seeing his relative being curious than to see her moping about whatever was causing her to be unhappy. He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes.

_We make our kids grow up way too fucking fast._ Kenji looked down at his ramen before flickering his eyes at Naruto. It was probably around her age that Kushina began dating Minato but the fact that she had been so young to declare those words made his stomach churned. Akane was around that age and her crushes came and go as his wife would constantly remind him.

Keiko was only slightly older when Kushina fell in love with Minato and Kenji had to wonder how his cousin had been mature enough to know she loved Minato. A child barely knew what love was but his cousin had been so confident. Not once did her love for the boy faded over the years, only growing stronger with each day that passed.

"She was 12," Kenji finally answered. Naruto blinked and quirked her lips into a tiny smile but the man could see the bitterness in her smile. A part of him wanted to question her but he held back the line of questioning. The girl didn't like him just yet and he had to be patient as his wife, Asa, Akira and Riku would remind him. "I thought she was insane for declaring that she was in love with your father at that age."

The blonde frowned. "Why?"

"Because what does a 12-year-old know about romantic love?" Kenji asked. The whiskered teen knitted her eyebrows together and the red-haired man felt tempted to remove the crease from her forehead, but held himself back. "When you are 12, you can't differentiate between the two of them. When you have a crush…you only see the idealized version of the person, you don't really know a person."

Naruto looked at him for the longest time as if she was deeply considering his words. When the girl tilted her head and rubbed her chin, it was her father shining through her and not her mother. It was good that she was thinking about it. He didn't know how to explain the differences and if he asked her why her mother loved her father or even why he loved his wife…well he didn't know how to answer.

Not only because he didn't know how to communicate his emotions but also because there was never a reason to love someone.

"Why didn't you tell me who my father was?"

Kenji blinked at the question and regarded the quiet girl beside him. He knew the girl changed the topic for a reason but pushing her to answer him would probably make their relationship difficult. _You shouldn't treat her like she is Kushina! She doesn't know you._ As long as Riku's words drilled into his head, he would be able to control his mouth.

He could be harsh with his children because they knew him. His clan understood the difference between the mask he wore in front of them and the real man beneath it. But Naruto only saw the mask he wore alongside the teacher mask that he wore. This time he had to be a little bit more opened even if it felt so awkward for him.

"Honestly? I thought Jiraiya already told you," he admitted, taking another sip of his ginger ale. "He was your father's teacher and he would have been the best person to tell you everything. I didn't know he kept it a secret from you."

_But I guess I should have told her since I told her about her mother and handed her the sketch I made of her parents._ He exhaled and scowled. God why the hell did things have to be so damn complicated? If only someone just warned him about the fact Naruto didn't even know who her father had been.

But then again if those councilmembers gave a damn about the girl then they would have reminded the whole village that it was the Hokage's daughter that they were spitting on.

"Well he did," Naruto grumbled, pushing the noodles back and forth.

Kenji looked at her for the longest time as those blue eyes radiated with so much anger. He could tell her that the meal was over and that he would walk over to her home but the girl was upset. If the girl went back to her apartment then there was a chance that she would just run away. She probably did not want to be around Jiraiya at the moment.

He would give her an option.

"Do you want to stay over at my house until you are ready to face the Toad Sannin?" He asked, swirling his glass of ginger ale before focusing on the quiet girl. "The Toad Sannin doesn't know where my family live."

Naruto looked at him with wide blue eyes. Mistrust shone through her eyes, reminding him again of how he messed things up when he first interacted with the girl. The curse of being an Uzumaki was that they were too emotional at times. It was not very good trait when it came to diplomatic or even when it came to dealing with people.

Akane was proof of that fact since the girl quickly declared that she wouldn't accept Naruto in their clan. _It is also my fault for insisting the clan values on them and putting the rule on Yuuei High._ His desire to protect the clan meant that the girl had been distrusted for her actions. Kenji curled his lips into a frown and looked down at his drink.

He made a lot of mistakes when it came to his clan but he would retire in the next couple of years.

Eisuke would be a better leader than him because he was the complete opposite of him.

"Why are you doing this? I still haven't decided whether to accept your apology or not," Naruto finally said. The girl gulped but no tears flowed down her eyes. It was like she was trying to stop herself from crying and maybe his distant relative was trying to stop herself from crying. That wobble in her smile spoke volumes about her emotional state and Kenji felt his lips twitched.

Her mother had been a crybaby too.

"I know I fucked up when it came to how I treated you when we first met but you are still _my_ family and a member of the Uzumaki Clan," Kenji explained. He cleared his throat and controlled the emotions threatening to come out again. "I know I said this to you before but I should have checked up on you and your Mom but I can't change the past. What I can do is now be there for you in the future."

The girl looked away from him but Kenji could see the tears coming out of her eyes. He placed his hand close to her shoulder, uncertain of whether or not if the girl would accept his offer of comfort. He didn't really do this emotional stuff. The comforting had always been left to his wife or son but they weren't here.

_I might actually need to take lessons from my own son on how to be comforting._

Because right now he wanted to bark at her to stop crying but Kenji swallowed down the desire.

"I'm taking you up on the offer because I ain't have any money on me and not because your words actually touched me or something!"

_She is a terrible liar like her mother._

He wisely chose to keep those words to himself and sent a text message to Kumiko to prepare the guest bedroom for Naruto.

* * *

**Author Note:** Did anyone expect for Kenji to come? I honestly considered putting Shouto but it felt wrong with what was happening. I know that in Guardian that I didn't really delve into their relationship but Divulgence would look into Naruto developing a relationship with both sides of her family.

I'm also going to admit that Divulgence is so far the book that will have the most chapters.

Here are a couple of questions for you.

**Question 1: **What do you think of the conversation between Jiraiya and Naruto?

**Question 2:** What do you think of the whole conversation between Kenji and Naruto?

**Question 3:** How do you hope that Naruto's relationship with Bakugou will change?

Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the Original Characters.

**Author Note**: I want to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

_It is a nice room._

Naruto took a seat on the bed and looked around the room that was now her temporary bedroom. Even though she had never been in many people's houses, the whiskered teen would admit that Kenji probably had the nicest room she had ever seen. Everything about the bedroom reminded her of a beach from the navy blue curtains and pillows to the white walls surrounding her.

There were little sea waves painted on the bottom of the wall while sea shell images decorated the walls of the guest room. _I'm guessing Kenji and his wife are really creative people._ It made sense when she really thought about it. The man did not like it if she ever tried to think inside the box when it came to their lessons and liked seals because of its versatility.

It also kind of told her that they liked having control but she might be wrong.

_Knock!_

"Who is it?" Naruto asked, knitting her eyebrows together as she dragged her feet close to the door. Was it Kenji? Maybe. It was rather difficult for her to tell when she had no experience of hearing her distant relative knock. If it had been Konoha then it would have been easy for her to figure out the loud knocks. The only person who knocked as loud as this had been Sakura.

A grimace played on her lips as annoyed green eyes flashed through her mind. Why the hell was she even thinking of her teammate at this moment? A knock shouldn't remind her of the pink-haired girl.

"It's Akane!" Her cousin replied. Naruto blinked and tilted her head to the side, blue eyes focused on the door. Why did the girl want to come to her bedroom? Did she want them to talk about the apology that she gave her? It could be possible but it could also not be the case. The girl hadn't made one attempt to go to her workplace since the apology so it might not be the case. "Can I please come in?"

_I should see what she wants._ The whiskered teen pushed her bottom lip back and forth as her hand reached out to her doorknob. It would be the first time in months since they interacted with each other. Months since Akane apologized to her and admitted to being jealous of her. Months since the girl told her that Kenji had been willing to accept her for breaking the rules.

A tiny part of her wanted to avoid the awkward confrontation that was bound to happen between them while another part of her reminded her that she couldn't avoid it forever. _I'm not a scaredy cat._ That was what the huge part of her kept chanting into her head, reminding her that to avoid Akane meant admitting she was still terrified.

With a deep breath, Naruto swung the door opened and blinked at the sight of a Akane moving back and forth like she was on a swing. The girl must have realized that the door was opened because she immediately stopped swaying and shoved a pair of clothes to her chest. The whiskered teen only knitted her eyebrows and looked down at the clothes.

"Did you bring me a pair of pajamas?" Naruto asked, knitting her eyebrows together. It was a stupid question for her to ask but it was rather odd for the girl to go all this trouble for her. _I am trying to learn how to be compassionate._ The words from three months ago echoed in her ear as her blue eyes took in the girl standing before her.

Right, Akane told her that she was trying to learn compassion. Maybe this was her attempt of being compassionate? If it was then it was nice of her to lend her pajamas to her. It was a simple black shirt and a pair of green soft shorts decorated with sloths. Not the type of pajamas she would wear but it was better than her sleeping in a pair of jeans.

"Well Mum said you ran out of your apartment without a wallet or a pair of pajamas so I thought you need pajamas," Akane answered, rubbing the back of her neck. Her green eyes did not meet her blue eyes but the flushed cheeks told Naruto everything. "Kiko offered too but I'm the closest to your size, though I should warn you that it might be a little bit tight around your chest."

A little bit of jealously leaked out of the girl's voice and a tiny scowls played on Akane's lips as her eyes took in Naruto's chest. The whiskered teen blinked and looked down at her breasts before darting her eyes at the red-haired girl before her. Yeah, she could understand the jealously. The red-haired girl had a smaller bust compared to her but it was slightly larger than some of the girl's in her class.

_But if she thinks my chest is large then she should see Yaoyorozu._ Naruto rubbed the back of her necks and looked down at her chest. It was universally agreed between all the girls in the class that the black-haired girl had the biggest bust. She shook her head and looked at the scowling girl with a frown playing on her lips.

"Y'know you wouldn't want a large chest when you know the pain that comes from it," Naruto informed Akane. The blonde walked over to the bed and put down the offered pajamas to the side before locking eyes with her relative. "You have to deal with back pain and half of the boys get distracted when you wear a school uniform. Besides you have a nicer ass than me."

Akane blinked and jerked her head at her. Her green eyes widened at her comment as if she didn't expect her to make a comment like that and Naruto rubbed the back of her neck. A part of her wanted to squirm when she spilled those words out but if the girl was trying to be compassionate then she shouldn't make things difficult.

It wasn't easy to be compassionate if you asked Naruto and it was really difficult when you weren't predisposed to being compassionate. Besides she was not a liar when it came to appearance. Akane did have a better pair of ass and legs than her and that was not something she was going to take back.

"You are being really nice to me," the red-haired girl commented, clearing her throat.

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and locked eyes on the picture. "Well you aren't being a bitch to me."

The girl bobbed her head and chewed on her bottom lip, looking at her like she wanted to ask something. What did she want to ask her? Was it about the apology from a few months ago? That could be the explanation. Maybe it could be something else but nothing really came to mind except for the apology that Akane made.

"_I am sorry for saying all those things that I said about denying you as an Uzumaki."_

The apology rang in her ears as her blue eyes took in the girl, who looked everywhere but at her. Not many people apologized to her but the younger girl explained the reason for her behavior towards her. Jealously, anger and frustration had been the general emotions behind Akane initial behavior towards her.

No one had ever really apologized in the way that Akane did and not many people could not look her in the eyes after making an apology. The only people had been Hinata, Gaara and Sasuke. Her female best friend could never meet her in the eye, always feeling too ashamed whenever she couldn't give her the final blow.

Gaara couldn't meet her eyes in the hospital after the Suna attack because he gained a conscious while Sasuke…

No, it was not the time to recall the various time he used to apologize to her.

_I used to forgive so easily in the past even when a person didn't apologize._ Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the younger girl, who kept shifting back and forth in her spot. Sakura had never apologized for some of her behavior towards her yet she used to forgive her. She forgave the teammate who called her annoying and thought she had been lucky to be an orphan.

Compared to that shit, Akane should be easier for her to forgive.

_And it isn't like I'm the innocent party with all of this too, I fucked up too._ In their first meeting, she had been so furious with the insult Akane had given to Itsuka-chan. She probably could have behaved better and yeah Akane was right about her. That act in the Sports festival had been a way of her showing off. Everything could have been avoided with the use of Toads.

She could have tried to understand why the girl had been furious with her or took her to the corner and demanded what her problem had been. _But her words reminded me of my childhood and I didn't think properly. _Naruto grimaced. Even when it came to her own apology, it did not feel like she completely understood things.

Tomoyo got kidnapped and the Elemental Countries learnt about there being several continent worth of Kekkei Genkei.

"I made things really hard for all of you guys, didn't I?" Naruto finally asked. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck as Akane swirled her head at her. "When you explained to me that I ruined the lives for the member of the Uzumaki clan, I didn't really fully understand what you meant even though I saw what my actions had done to Tomoyo. But you guys weren't trained to be shinobi, were you?"

_It would be terrifying to know several countries wanted them for their Kekkei Genkei and that the peace they have known was gone because of me._ Naruto looked down at her hands and gulped down a lump. People with Kekkei Genkei were valued and they weren't ever seen as anything but tools for war.

Wars had been created because of the desire to have their Kekkei Genkei and her mother's clan had a huge range of Kekkei Genkei due to the marriage between them.

"Until your very public apology, the only who have shinobi training are the children who wants to be heroes," Akane commented. Naruto blinked as the red-haired girl flickered her eyes to the picture of the seashell. "Or the children who are very likely to be kidnapped for their Kekkei Genkei like Tomoyo."

Naruto nodded and closed her eyes.

"Yeah well shinobis and their government only see people as potential tools for war," she admitted. Akane scowled at the reminder while the whiskered teen looked out at the window. _Haku's father killed his mother because she had a Kekkei Genkei._ Naruto grimaced. "I put all of you in danger and that wasn't okay. I should have used my head so…I guess what I'm trying to say is that neither of us are victims for what you said."

_So I forgive you._

The words weren't said but the way Akane relaxed her shoulders told her that the girl was relieved by her unspoken words. It felt odd. Not like a bad odd but a strange relief. She didn't feel better nor did the ache from the memory just suddenly disappeared. Maybe it would always be there like the memory of the Matron and her other childhood memories.

It was a relief because it felt like she had the decision to forgive and not have a tiny voice inside of her head telling her that it would be wrong not to forgive.

* * *

"_Shouto! There is someone at the door who wants to see you!"_

Shouto looked away from his comic and knitted his eyebrows as Fuyumi stood in front of him and Natsuo. The white-haired girl had a frown playing on her lips as her eyes focused on him. Who on Earth would want to talk to him this late? He darted his eyes to his older brother, who kept flickering his eyes between him and his sister.

"Who on Earth wants to talk to you, this late?" Natsuo asked, scratching his head as his eyes focused on him. Those grey eyes widened as if an idea suddenly came to his mind. If he knew who on Earth would want to talk to him then Shouto was all ears. "Wait did you confess to Naruto and she told you that she needs to think about it and she came to tell you her feelings?"

Shouto stared at his grinning brother and felt his cheeks burning up at the accusation. He hadn't told Natsuo of what happened between him and Naruto, not when the whole relationship was new. It seemed like a good idea to keep their relationship private especially when it came to school. Their classmates did have a terrible habit of snooping in on their relationship.

The boys would question him and he didn't know how to explain things to them.

But that was not the point.

He knew Naruto and the girl would never come here without contacting him. Shouto frowned and rubbed his chin as his heterochromia eyes locked onto his frowning sister. The older girl would never come here, not when she made it clear how much she disliked Endeavour. So it was impossible for her to visit him nor did he want her to come here.

Endeavour would probably say something to make Naruto furious and he didn't want that. What if she chose to leave him because of some thoughtless words spoken by his father? Unlike his brother or sister, there would always be a fear that the man would try to pay off his girlfriend if he didn't like their Quirk or personality.

"It is a man," Fuymi replied, fixating her eyes on him. The young woman curled her lips into a frown and darted her eyes to Natsuo, who only blinked and frowned. Shouto only knitted his eyebrows together. "He is the writer of that book series Shouto asked you about before he went with Father for his internship."

His brother blinked and swirled his head at him, grey eyes widening to the point that it looked like a pair of plates.

"How do you know the author of the Icha-Icha series?" His brother asked once he finally got over his shock.

Shouto frowned. "He is Naruto's guardian."

Natsuo blinked and gawked while his sister raised her eyebrows up to the hairline at this piece of information. He knew he should inform them of the reason of not telling this piece of information but his stomach rolled over with concern. It was not good news for the man to be here. It meant something must have happened to Naruto.

He felt sweat forming on the top of his forehead as he dashed to the front door. Did he say something to her that ruined things? It might have been a terrible idea for him to question Naruto on why she had to be the one to change. He probably should have waited till their relationship was further along before questioning her.

He stopped in his steps at the sight of a grim-faced Jiraiya, whose black eyes that shone with concern as he stood in front of the door.

"Todoroki, is Naruto here? Did she contact you and told you where she would be going?" Jiraiya asked, taking a step forward. His black eyes pleaded for him to answer yes but the 15-year-old frowned. _Is Naruto here?_ That made his stomach churned. Did his girlfriend get kidnapped again? No, he made sure to walk her back home after their date.

Besides, the girl was strong and it would be impossible for someone to kidnap her. No, something else happened. The fact Jiraiya asked him if Naruto was here must have meant that something happened between them. Something that would have made her want to leave her apartment. That could be the only explanation for why the man would look so frantic.

But what could have happened between them? Shouto kept his expression completely blank as his eyes focused on the panicking man before him. They must have had an argument which would have resulted on the girl storming off. It was the only explanation for why Jiraiya would be here. But what could they have argued about? As far as he knew, the two of them had a good relationship.

They were mentor and apprentice.

"What did you do?" Shouto finally asked. He kept his tone calm even though his heart pounded against his chest like a gorilla punching against its cage. _What the hell did you do to her?_ The temptation to scream those words were great but the male wasn't stupid. The moment he yelled those words out, his siblings would come out here like a pack of elephants.

Jiraiya flinched and did not meet his eyes, earning pressed lips from Shouto. What the hell did this man do to make Naruto run? The urge to wrap his hands and throttle the man was great but he swallowed down the desire. Right now it was time for him to focus on what could have made his girlfriend ran away in the middle of the night.

She would never run away for no reason at all, not unless something happened for her to think being away from this man was better for her.

"I only told Naruto who her father was," Jiraiya admitted. The white-haired man rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. "She didn't react well when I told her who he was."

"That is an understatement," Shouto muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the white-haired man. Should he have kept his tone polite? Most likely but it was better for him to allow the anger to leak out then for him to punch the man. He clenched his jaws together and balled his hands into a fist.

Naruto was a lot of things but she wouldn't run away because she found out who her father was. He shook his head and regarded the man standing right in front of him. No, what made her run away was Jiraiya. The man knew this whole time who her father had been and never once told her about it. That was a betrayal of the highest order for the girl.

_I never knew my parents._

Sad eyes flashed before him.

_I kept asking my grandfather-figure about them._

Even now the sadness in her voice rung in his ears and Shouto felt his temper boiling up. Naruto had always been curious about her parents especially with the bullying she went through in her own village._ She said that my parents abandoned me because I was a bitch._ The anger and sadness in those blue eyes flashed before his eyes.

His throat tightened as more memories of their various interaction flashed before his eyes. The one thing which always stood out about the girl was her trust issues. Issues he understood well enough because of the abuse she went through. An abuse that was both similar and unlike the abuse he went through.

"You _deliberately _hid the truth from her," Shouto finally said. He balled his hands even tighter and narrowed his eyes at the white-haired man before allowing the anger to seep right into his tone. "You know Naruto has trust issues and that she has a fear of trusting people because of what happened to her! How do you think she would react when someone she trust admits that they knew her father?"

The words echoed in the yard as Shouto glared at the man. It took a lot for him to explode like this but Naruto was special to him. She was precious to him. Someone who had been there for him even when he had been a jerk to her. For her to get this kind of news and to learn that someone she trusted kept secrets from her was a huge wrong in his eyes.

His girlfriend only now began to trust people and allowed people right into her life.

"I know I messed up—"

"You didn't mess up; you fucked up."

Messed up implied that the man did something simple towards Naruto but it was anything but simple. Even now mistrustful blue eyes flashed before him alongside the broken look in her eyes after she came back from the attempted kidnapping._**They**__ never gave a shit._ The words rung in his ears as he looked at Jiraiya.

"I did fuck up but I need to know where Naruto ran off to," Jiraiya said. His black eyes shone with sincerity but Shouto doubt him. Did the man actually care about the girl? He left her alone during a time when she needed him. He knew what Sasuke did and left her even though he had been worried about her mental state. "Do you have any idea of where Naruto might have gone for the night if she isn't with you?"

Shouto stared at the man for a good long time. The concern in his tone told him that he was genuinely worried about the girl. That he wanted to be certain that she was fine but would telling him be the right thing? Would it be healthy for Naruto? He couldn't be certain. _You told Aizawa-sensei that I used a clone._ Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line.

His decision of what to tell Jiraiya would affect the trust Naruto had in him. _I should tell him where Naruto might be._ If a friend was in trouble then you had to do the right thing. He should tell him that the girl would never go over to a friend's house because Naruto was crafty. She knew how to hide and plan as she clearly demonstrated in their first lesson.

Naruto would never go to a place which would be blatantly obvious to a normal person.

"You should check Bakugou's home."

Jiraiya paled as Shouto kept his eyes fixated on the man. The obvious fear in his eyes brought a small frown on the boy's lips. Oh? Why would he be terrified to go over to the boy's house? As far as the mismatch boy knew, the man didn't have much of a relationship with the explosive boy in his class. Then again, Bakugou was very loud.

He was also very protective when it came to Naruto even if the older teen would deny he was fond of the whiskered girl.

"She is going to kill me," Jiraiya muttered, looking at him like he was sending him to his death. _He is overdramatic._ Honestly the man acted like Naruto would be the one to kill him when really she would punch him for lying to her. The whiskered teen was more expressive when it came to showing her anger which was a trait that Shouto admired about the girl.

He spent most of his life bottling up his emotions while Naruto struggled to do it.

"You shouldn't have lied to her."

Jiraiya grimaced. "Thanks for telling me where she might be, Todoroki!"

Shouto only nodded and watched as Jiraiya sprinted away from his house. He kept the frown plastered on his lips as his mismatched eyes continued to follow the fading form of the white-haired man. A snort escaped from his lips and the mismatched boy clicked his heels together, ready to walk back to the living room…only to meet the disappointed grey eyes of his sister.

How long had she been listening in on their conversation? Judging from the way she folded her arms against her chest and the frown playing on her lips, it might have been a long time. It also seemed like she was not the only one listening in because Natsuo stood right behind Fuyumi. Unlike his sister, he only knitted his eyebrows and stared at him with confusion.

"You lied to him, didn't you?" His sister accused.

_I had to lie._ The words threatened to come out but Shouto only swallowed it down and nodded his head while his older brother frowned. If he truly believed talking to Jiraiya would help her then he would tell Jiraiya of where he actually believed Naruto had went. But Shouto didn't really trust the man when it came to Naruto.

He left her alone in a foreign country after what happened with Sasuke and that didn't make him a really good person in his eyes. There was also the fact that Naruto wanted space or why else would she decided to leave the apartment? He exhaled. "Naruto has a right not to be near him when he broke her trust."

Fuyumi faltered and knitted her eyebrows before stealing a glance at Natsuo. Between the three of them, it was his older brother who was learning how to be a therapist. _He should understand why I don't want to tell Jiraiya._ But his brother shrugged like he didn't know what was the right decision.

Was there a right decision when it came to a situation as complicated as Naruto?

"Fuyumi, do you know where the Uzushiokage live?"

His sister blinked and raised a single eyebrow at him. _Why do you want to know where my best friend's cousin live?_ The question was as clear as day if you asked him but the answer was not obvious. Not many people would think she would go there but it was so unpredictable that it was something Naruto would do.

He hoped his suspicions were right because if he was wrong then he might have to go to Endeavour for help.

Shouto would be willing to swallow his pride if it meant he could be certain that Naruto was fine.

* * *

_Whiskers is my cousin._

No matter how many times he repeated those words in his head, Bakugou couldn't fully wrap his head around the confirmation that Whiskers was his half-cousin. It had been a possibility but it was another thing to hear the words coming out of his grandmother. The same grandmother, who did not take a sip of her tea and who did not shred a single tea when telling them of how his uncle died.

_I can't fucking believe that Minato-ojisan is the one that put Whiskers in that situation._ He stole a glance at his mother, who already had tears in her eyes, and then looked at his father. Between everyone in their family, it was only his old man who kept his emotions in check. But the clenched jaws and the sadness in his eyes told him that his father understood the gravity of what Whiskers went through.

_Ring._

Bakugou knitted his eyebrows together as his father and grandmother exchanged looks. Who would come here this late? Aunt Inko stopped coming to their house after what he did to Deku or rather she stopped coming whenever she knew he was in the house. The woman made it very clear how unhappy she was with him when he went over to Deku's house for the damn project Aizawa-sensei made them do.

Spikey wouldn't come here this late while Deku knew better than to come over to his home.

"I will answer it," his grandmother declared, flickering her blue eyes at his mother. The Old Hag relaxed her shoulders and rubbed her eyes while his father shot a grateful look to the Old Crone. The old man probably didn't want to deal with people while his mother sobbed over the fact that Whiskers had been orphaned from birth.

If Whiskers saw them then she probably would just put on a fake smile and make some bullshit about it not being bad.

_She is really fucking messed up to think her life wasn't shitty._ He scowled and shoved his hands into his pocket before standing up from his seat. He didn't give a shit about Whiskers and her life. People went through shit every day but at least they got back up. Whatever shit she went through in her childhood, well she would overcome it eventually.

The scowl deepened as his eyes landed on the photo of his smiling uncle and mother that stood on the hallway leading to the door. _Bastard went through shit and he makes his own daughter go through the very discrimination he went through._ He growled. Why the hell did he care? Whiskers was not someone he gave shit about. She was just someone he respected.

Someone that he needed to overcome if he ever wanted to reach the goal of becoming the number one hero.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jiraiya?" The Old Crone growled.

Bakugou swirled his head away from the photo of the Old Hag and his uncle and focused his attention on the door. Red eyes widened slightly at the sight of the white-haired man standing in front of the door with sweat around his forehead. It looked like he ran a matharon and the way his eyes looked around the house told him that he was searching for someone.

"I'm guessing from your words that Naruto isn't here!"

The Old Crone stiffened and clenched her hands into a fist. Even though her back was turned away from him, the red-eyed boy bet that if he stood right in front of his grandmother that her eyebrows were twitching. _She is fucking pissed._ The paled expression of Whisker's Guardian told him that much.

His grandmother was not a woman that you wanted to anger as his grandfather would always tell him whenever Bakugou asked the man why he would avoid her.

"I hope for the sake of your balls that you didn't just tell me that _my 15-year-old granddaughter_ run away," his grandmother hissed. Jiraiya gulped and looked everywhere but at the Old Crone. _Coward._ The blond-haired teen rolled his eyes and snuck a glance over his shoulder, red eyes widening at the sight of his parents standing behind him.

There might be no longer any tears flowing down his mother's eyes but the wobble of his mother's legs told him that the woman was still shaken up by the news. _If she is still dealing with the news then she should just stay in her place._ Bakugou scowled. Why the hell was the Old Hag forcing herself to hear this? The Old Crone would tell her everything.

"I wouldn't call it running away," Jiraiya protested, focusing his eyes on Mitsuki. "Her clothes and money are still in her apartment."

His grandmother growled. "The fact you don't know where she is tells me that she ran away."

"Well she wouldn't have ran away if you haven't made me realize I had to tell her who her father was!" Jiraiya retorted. The famous author folded his arms against his chest and looked at Narumi with accusing eyes. Not a very smart thing to do when the woman was not afraid of hurting people who annoyed the shit out of her.

Narumi growled. "Jeez I wonder why she would run away! Is it because of who her father is or the fact that you have been keeping it a secret from her? Did you even break the news gently to her? Or did you shove it to her like it was no big deal?"

_Wow, the Old Crone must be really holding her temper._ Bakugou knew the old woman like the back of his hand. While his mother and father did raise him, Narumi had been the one to babysit him whenever his parents had to work over time. So he kind of knew the telltale signs of her rage like the fact her shoulders twitched every couple of seconds.

The heavy breathing also helped hinted of her tsunami of rage.

"How the hell do you break news like this gently?" Jiraiya asked, slumping his shoulders. His grandmother stopped twitching and exhaled as black eyes locked onto them. "I tried every single way of thinking of how to break it to her but it all leads to the same result. The only reason I came here is because Todoroki told me she might come here."

The Old Crone only hummed while Bakugou regarded the man in front of the door. _IcyHot told him._ He didn't like IcyHot but IcyHot wasn't stupid nor was he blind when it came to Whiskers. Bastard had been watching Whiskers from the moment she walked through the door of their classroom. He knew if he told the Erotic Writer where she was then Whiskers wouldn't trust him.

He would never betray Naruto's trust especially when he cared for her.

"You really don't know shit about Whiskers, do you?" Bakugou called out. Jiraiya blinked and blinked while the members of his family swirled their head at him. He dug his hand into the pockets of his sweatpants and scowled at the man. "If you fucking knew her then you know she is observant and crafty when she wants to be."

Jiraiya frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means she knows you are going to be looking for her, Pervert," he retorted. His mother shot him a warning look and the explosive teen scowled. His grandmother only regarded him with thoughtful eyes. "Coming to my house, IcyHot or even Deku's house would be the most obvious place for _you_ to think she would go. Hell even Lizard or Big Hands would be obvious too. She doesn't want you to find her and IcyHot knows this!"

Black eyes widened as everyone else looked at him with raised eyebrows. _Where the hell would she go?_ He shrugged. How the fuck was he supposed to know? Whiskers and him weren't friends. They worked together and now they were connected by blood but it didn't mean he knew where she would go.

He wasn't a stalker!

"Jiraiya, leave Naruto alone and let her process the revelation that you gave her," his grandmother finally said. Tiredness leaked out of her voice and her blue eyes focused on him before looking back at the worried man. "You, the Hokage and my son caused enough damage to her mental health. Don't push her to talk to you because if Katsuki is right then she isn't ready to face you or me."

Bakugou frowned as his mother raised an eyebrow at his grandmother. While it was nice for the Old Crone to finally say something nice about him and not some insult of some kind, it was still rather weird. The elder woman had been rather pleased to tell them that Whiskers was Minato's daughter.

Now she talked with a rather calm tone.

"I thought you wanted to meet Whiskers so why the hell are you acting like this?" Bakugou called out. His grandmother swirled her head at him and the blond-haired teen scowled. Just because he asked the question, did not mean he cared about her feelings or Whiskers. The Old Crone was not weak. "Aren't you going to barge into her life?"

His grandmother clasped her hands behind her back and walked straight towards him. "Barging into her life? That is me forcing a relationship that she might not be ready for. Naruto needs time to think and process everything before she can make a decision to know me. I was thinking like an eager Grandma when I told Jiraiya that I want to meet her and not like an experienced individual."

Everyone blinked.

"What the hell does that mean?" Jiraiya finally asked.

His grandmother sighed. "It means she needs time to process that not only Minato is her father but she has a living grandmother. That isn't easy news for anyone to hear. I have dealt with cases where there had been some adults, who had been adopted as babies and found their birth parents. It is only normal for her to be terrified about meeting us."

_What the hell is the big deal? The Old Hag already wants to take her home._ He could tell from the way his mother looked slightly disappointed by the Old Crone's response. His father only nodded and looked like he understood what his grandmother meant. Honestly he didn't fully understand what the big deal was.

They wouldn't bite her.

"Well I haven't told her about your daughter and her family," Jiraiya admitted. "She ran off when she heard the news of who her father was."

His grandmother sighed. "But you told her that I want to meet her right?"

The middle-aged man nodded.

"Then the ball is in her court," Narumi declared. Her blue eyes focused on the white-haired man before flickering her eyes at the slumped shoulders of his mother. "If she wants to contact me then she will come to you since she still doesn't know that Katsuki is her cousin."

Bakugou rubbed the back of his neck and darted his eyes to his mother. It was only more time and that was perfectly fine with him. If he acknowledged Whiskers was his cousin then Spikey and Pikachu were going to bug him even more. He would have less headaches because those two would forever be pushing him to deepen his bond with the girl.

Pinky would be even worse and tell him that he was such a doting cousin while Lizard would say that it made sense.

He didn't want that!

"Fine I will tell Whiskers that we are family!"

Everyone swirled their heads at him, eyes widening at the words that spilled out of his mouth. Well shit now he didn't mean for them to hear those words but it wasn't like he was doing it for them. He just wanted to make things clear to everyone in school that he didn't have those _disgusting _feelings for the girl.

It was not because he wanted his family to know that he cared or for Whiskers to know that she had him in her corner. Nope. That stuff was way too mushy and something IcyHot would do.

"Are you sure you have the emotional capacity to do a delicate job, Brat?"

Bakugou bristled.

"Well I can't be fucking worse than the smut writer!"

* * *

**A/N: **So Naruto forgave Akane while Todoroki decided to lie to Jiraiya of where Naruto might be. Bakugou decides that he would break the news of their relationship while making up some excuse to himself of why he was doing it.

**Question 1:** What do you think of the whole conversation between Naruto and Akane?

**Question 2: **How do you find the three Point Of View?

Do let me know of your thoughts on the chapter and what I can do to improve the story. There might be another two to three chapters on the whole arc before I move onto the Forest Training Camp Arc. I should tell you that the arc will be completely different from the arc from the original Nirvana.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters

**Author Note: **I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

_So he is Naruto's Uncle._

Shouto kept his expression completely blank as hazel eyes looked down at him with suspicion and weariness. It was rather understandable when he thought about it. It was barely 9 am when he decided to ring the doorbell but Jiraiya picked up Naruto's cellphone when he called her last night. This had been the exact reason he wanted to come over last night to the man's house but Fuyumi convinced him not to come over last night.

The fact that Naruto was probably still in shock had been enough reason for him to stay put and try calling her cellphone. _But Jiraiya picked up her phone._ He had a feeling that would happen. When his girlfriend was under a state of stress then she would usually forget her valuables. It had been cute in the cafe to watch her look frantically for her stuff.

Not so cute when the girl ran away from her apartment without a phone on her.

"Who the hell are you?" Kenji demanded, narrowing his hazel eyes at him. He folded his arms against his chest and pressed his lips into a very thin line, looking almost like he drank a very sour lemonade.

Shouto frowned and knitted his eyebrows together. _Can I say that I'm Naruto's boyfriend or do I tell him that I'm her friend?_ They were both truth but something told him that he needed to choose his answer carefully. It probably did not help that he could practically see the daggers coming out of his eyes.

Was there even a right answer on how to answer the man's question? Well either way he better just tell the man the truth. If he didn't admit to dating Naruto and his girlfriend heard him then she might have the wrong idea. _She might think I want to keep us a secret._ The whiskered teen would never say it but her thoughts could be read as clear as day.

He never wanted her to believe that he didn't want people to know about them just like how he didn't want to think that maybe Naruto would be disappointed to be in a relationship with him. He was no Kaminari, Kirishima or even Bakugou. Allowing himself to show off his emotions was still a struggle for him.

Naruto might accept it but what if one day she was disappointed that he couldn't be openly affectionate like other people? The girl could find someone better than him. _That is why I should treasure her as much as I can._ Shouto exhaled. The blonde was probably one of the most amazing people he knew and the fact she liked him back was kind of a miracle.

"I'm Todoroki Shouto," he finally said. "And I'm Naruto's boyfriend."

Hazel eyes widened as the man gawked at his reply. _Should I have chosen a better answer? _Shouto rubbed the back of his neck and shifted left to right as the man continued to observe him. What would have been the better answer? Wasn't it better for him to be honest to the man than to lie to him about his true relationship with Naruto?

"Todoroki?" Kenji finally muttered, flickering his eyes to his hair before landing on his turquoise eye. "You must be Touya's youngest sibling."

Shouto blinked and jerked his head back as those hazel eyes stopped glaring at him. Even though there was no longer a hard glare directed at him, the man did not smile or gave him a kind look. It was just a blank look. _I don't even know what kind of a relationship he has with To-niisan._ He knew Fuyumi was close to the relative of the Uzushiokage but he hadn't known about the personal connection between them.

He frowned and nodded. "But I'm not here to talk about my brother."

"I figured that out rather quickly, thank you very much," the man retorted. Gruffness alongside tiredness coated his tone and his hazel eyes regarded him like he didn't know whether or not to let him in. "Why did you decide to come to my house this early in the morning? You know that there are some people who actually enjoy sleeping."

The mismatch boy rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his shoes. It was true that some people preferred to sleep in like his sister and brother but concern kept churning around in his stomach. So many thoughts came to his mind as he laid on his bed last night. Was Naruto really at her relative's house? Or was she sleeping on the streets again?

Bile would always rise to his throat and a part of him wondered if it would be his fault if his girlfriend had a horrible time. Every time he got close to someone, they always ended up getting hurt. Midoriya, Iida and Naruto were proof of this.

"I want to check up on Naruto if she is here," Shouto finally replied. "Jiraiya told me that Naruto ran away when he told her about her father. I know that it wasn't easy for her to learn that her mentor had been keeping her father a secret from her for a very long time."

The red-haired man eyed him, looking at him like he was deeply considering whether or not to let him in. The middle-aged man rubbed his chin as his hazel eyes inspected him from head to toe. _He doesn't trust me with Naruto._ Shouto inwardly scowled. If the man knew his brother then he probably knew what his father was like.

He was probably judging him because of his father.

"Come in," Kenji finally said with a sigh. Mismatch eyes widened as the red-haired man swung the door opened to reveal a hallway covered with so many family photos. "I'm letting you in because I can tell that you care about Naruto but one warning for you: _no funny business_ in my living room."

Shouto knitted his eyebrows together. "What does funny business mean? How can a business be funny?"

The middle-aged man looked at him for a very long time as if he didn't know whether he was being serious or not. _I really don't understand what he means._ He tilted his head to the side and blinked when the grown man smacked his forehead. It looked like it had been a rather hard smack if you asked Shouto since his handprint burned onto his forehead.

"It means I don't want to walk in on the two of you having sex or you groping her on my couch."

_Oh._ That was the only thought running through his mind as his face burned a bright shade of red at the crude words coming out of the man's mouth. The man thought he would take advantage of Naruto's grief to touch her. That had never once came to his mind. Why would he do that? He liked Naruto. He didn't like her for her body or wanted to pressure her to do something she didn't want to do.

He tugged the collar of his shirt.

"I promise not to do any funny business in your living room," Shouto finally said. He tried his hardest to keep his eyes focused on Naruto's uncle and not allow the embarrassment to leak out of his tone. It would be incredibly wrong of him to take advantage of the whiskered teen especially when her mentor just destroyed her trust.

Kenji snorted. "I'm trusting you, Todoroki which is saying something since I don't trust teenage boys around any girl who belonged to my family."

"Why?" Shouto asked, tilting his head to the side as a wrinkle formed on the top of his forehead. "Why are you only targeting teenage boys?"

The red-haired man sighed and lowered his head till those hazel eyes were only a few centimeters away from him. From the faint twinkle of amusement, Shouto guessed the man found his question to be humorous but the scowl told him that he also didn't like the question. "Because from my experience as a father and as a man, teenage boys are usually hormonal little shits."

_Is he comparing me to Mineta and Kaminari?_ His eyebrows twitched and Shouto took a deep breath. He pushed down the emotions bubbling up inside of him. Those two boys gawked and drooled over any girl who had a nice body. All those two boys could do was talk or attempt to peek at the girls whenever it was time for them to change.

Not once had he been tempted to look…even if there had been a little bit of tickle of curiosity to see what the big deal was.

"I won't do anything in your living room," he repeated. Kenji pressed his lips into a very thin line and locked eyes with him, looking at him like he was trying to examine like he was a microbiologist examining a bacteria in a microscope. Shouto inhaled. "I respect Naruto too much than to do something inappropriate to her."

Kenji nodded. "Good because I have been told that type of comfort isn't a very good idea even if said girl says that she wants it. Right now, Naruto needs someone to talk to about whatever issue that is going through her head and I'm fucking terrible when it comes to emotional shit."

"Yeah I know what you did in your very first meeting with her," Shouto retorted.

The red-haired man scowled. "You are a smartass, aren't you?"

Shouto only kept quiet and took a step inside of the house. _If I say anything then he might smack me._ That easily irritated tone reminded him of Endeavour alongside the harsh tone. The mismatch teen grimaced and shoved the memory to the side. This man might not be the same as his father. Naruto wouldn't come here if she believed for a moment that the man might abused her.

She would rather give him the middle-finger and sleep on the streets then be here.

"Was Naruto's father a bad man?" Shouto asked quietly. He twisted his head around to meet the hazel eyes of Kenji and frowned at the grimace playing on the man's lips. _He doesn't like Naruto's father._ The mismatch boy frowned. Was the man considered a terrible person in the shinobi world? But how could someone so good could come out of a bad person?

Then again they weren't defined by their parents.

"Minato was the complete opposite of your father," Kenji commented. Shouto blinked and raised his eyebrows to his hairline as those hazel eyes continued to regard him. "He would never even let me smack one of his smartass student even if he deserved it for running his mouth, and he always chose to do the right thing…even if it meant his own child would have to face the world by herself."

Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line as the man glared at one of the photos. _I think if I ask anymore questions on Naruto's father then he might just chase me out of here._ It was rather understandable. From what the man just implied, her father had been the reason for her discrimination. It implied that Naruto became a jinchuuriki because of her father.

That would be a rather hard pill for anyone to swallow.

"You know what kind of man Endeavour is."

Kenji stopped in his steps and raised an eyebrow at him. Well he didn't mean to spill the thought out loud but the way the man talked was like he knew the kind of household he lived in. It was not like he wanted to tell the man about his problems with his father or to find out if the man accepted it. It was just that he sounded like he disapproved of his father.

A lot of people praised his father.

"It was hard not to know when Tomoyo and my brother would heal your brother from his injuries," Kenji replied. "In your father's desire to reach the top, he did things that even _I _will disapprove of and my wife calls me a hardass. He is one of the reason my son worked so hard to become a hero."

Shouto tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Touya hates Heroes and that was something my son and Tomoyo could see," the middle-aged man grunted. "Your brother had this belief that heroes didn't really saved people or rather they _should_ put people first but your father ruined his perception. Eisuke wanted to prove him wrong when it came to heroes."

The mismatched boy blinked.

"So the Hero Uzushiokage came to be because of my brother?"

Kenji nodded.

"My son have been dedicated to his work in the hopes that he would make your brother see that not all heroes are like Endeavour."

* * *

"_Shouto, what are you doing here? No, how did you know that I was here?"_

The question came out of her mouth like a couple of speeding bullets as she took in the sight of Shouto sitting on her distant relative's couch like it was no big deal. When Kenji told her that there had been someone who wanted to see her, the last person she expected was her calm boyfriend. Not once did she even consider the idea of him coming here.

_I didn't even have the chance of asking Akane or even Kiko if I could borrow their phones to call him._ Her stomach fluttered as her blue eyes focused on the concerned eyes of her boyfriend. How did he know she would be here? The fact that he sat on her couch, looking so relieved to see her was not what she had imagined when she went to bed last night.

"Jiraiya came over to my house to check if you were spending the night there," Shouto admitted as the whiskered teen took a seat right beside him. The mismatch boy had a calm tone but the twitch of his right eyebrow told the blonde how irritated he was. "He told me that he told you about your father before you ran out on him."

Naruto frowned and knitted her eyebrows. "But that doesn't explain how you know I would be here!"

_I just can't figure out how he would know I will be here._ The whiskered teen rubbed the back of her neck and snuck a glance at the younger boy. Not once had she ever hinted to him that she would visit Kenji-sensei if things get rough between her and Jiraiya. But here he was sitting in the couch with his head tilted to the side.

"I knew you weren't going to make it easy for him to find you," her boyfriend admitted, focusing his eyes on her. "So I thought of the least likely place of where you would go to hide when you don't want your mentor to find you."

_So you did the opposite of what people would do._ She smiled and placed her hand on top of his hand, rubbing the rough callous of the palm of his hand. Most people would pick the most likely place for her to go but Shouto figured out the place that she would never think he was. It was pure luck he found her here but it didn't matter.

What mattered was that he didn't tell Jiraiya where she was.

"I didn't even know I would come here," Naruto hummed as her eyes focused on her boyfriend. His eyes darted to her hand as if he was uncertain of her gesture. No, the knitted eyebrows told her that he was uncertain. "But if Kenji-sensei hadn't found me in the swings near his house then I wouldn't be here."

It had been pure luck the boy found her here.

Shouto nodded and rubbed the back of her hand. It felt odd for someone to rub her hand with this kind of gentleness. So odd that her whole body tingle with the gentleness being bestowed on her. She darted her eyes back to her boyfriend, who now stopped rubbing her hand and began tilting his head to the side.

"Where would you have gone if he didn't find you?"

The knitted eyebrows alongside that little crease on his forehead reminded her of a cute little curious kitten, except Shouto was nots little nor cute. _Pretty is an understatement when it comes to him._ Gorgeous sounded better but could a boy be called gorgeous? They should have that compliment directed to them.

It was only fair in the name of equal rights but that was not the point. Right now the question was the point and not her contemplating about choosing a better description for the boy's looks. _Where would I have gone?_ Naruto hummed and scrunched her eyebrows together. That was a really good question.

Only one name came to her mind.

"Aizawa-sensei's apartment," Naruto finally answered. She quirked her lips into a tiny smile. "He would have given me advice of what to do and I would have been able to play with Eri-chan."

Shouto bobbed his head, not looking one bit surprised by what would have been her actual option. Nejire-chan would have been good but she would ask a lot of question. There was also the fact she didn't really know where the girl lived. Itsuka and Setsuna had been an option too but Jiraiya would have quickly figured them out.

The man would never think she would have gone to the very adult who made her begin therapy over her issues.

_Aizawa-sensei would understand why I escaped from my apartment if I told him that_ _I felt betrayed by Jiraiya._ Naruto grimaced and looked at her boyfriend. Now that he was here, she kind of wanted to take advantage of the fact that he was here. That one time they cuddled had made her feel a warmth that she didn't know she had been missing.

Quirking her lips into a smile, the whiskered teen shuffled closer to the mismatch boy. _I like his hugs even if it can be a little bit stiff in the beginning._ The blonde held onto his hands, earning a raised eyebrow from the younger teen. Right. Even though the two of them were close, the younger boy was not a complete mind reader when it came to her.

"Naruto?" Shouto asked, tilting his head to the side.

The blonde looked down at their hands. "I-I want a hug."

Shouto blinked and opened his arms widely, allowing her to slip right into his arms. _It feels nice to be held like this._ She never had many hugs growing up in Konoha nor did she ever had someone to offer her this kind of warmth. Sakura and Kakashi would always get irritated whenever she got touchy-feely while Sasuke allowed it to a point.

A little sigh escaped from her lips as Shouto pulls her closer to him. The warmth of his back alongside the sound of his thundering heartbeat brought a sense of calm upon her. Maybe it was because she felt safe. It had been such a long time since she felt this safe in someone's arms or maybe it was because it was Shouto.

"Do you want to talk about your feelings on the matter?" Shouto asked. He lowered his head on top of her own head and the whiskered teen tiled her head to meet his mismatched eyes. Concern and curiosity shone through his eyes, reminding her that he cared a lot when it came to her. He always cared and the fact that he came here showed it.

There was also the fact he allowed her to hug him like this.

"I'm not angry about the fact that my father is the man who sealed the Kyuubi inside of me," Naruto admitted. Her boyfriend blinked and knitted his eyebrows, earning a tiny smile from the blonde. "Do you know how you always have this tiny feeling inside of you that says that maybe this person could be your parent?"

Shouto shook his head. "I can't say that I ever had that feeling."

The whiskered teen hummed and slipped her right hand over his own. That bluntness was a comfort for her because he could always say that he had this feeling, but he always chose to be honest. Naruto quirked her lips into a smile. Honesty was probably one of the best qualities that the boy had alongside the fact he always reflect.

She could take a lesson from him when it came to reflecting on things.

"I always dismissed the idea of the Fourth Hokage being my father," Naruto admitted. A frown played on her lips and the girl knitted her eyebrows together. "There was no way people would have treated me that badly if my father had been the hero of my village, which was why I never thought about the chances of him being my father. I mean I hoped but that was the orphan in me hoping for my parents to be famous."

_It would have been cool._ Naruto exhaled and blinked when the boy squeezed her tighter. Was this Shouto way of bringing her even more comfort? Because she liked it. It didn't feel like he was caging her but offering her a shelter from whatever negative thoughts coming her way. She inhaled the scent of his cologne and relaxed her shoulders.

"You are more upset with Jiraiya than over the fact that your father is the reason for the treatment that you faced back in your village, right?" Shouto asked. He buried his face in her hair and Naruto closed her eyes. That was a rather interesting question to ask. Who was she more angry with? A dead man? Or the man who had been living with her for a whole month?

She exhaled.

"I'm furious over the fact that my father put me in this position but I wouldn't run out of my apartment because of who he is," Naruto answered. She closed her eyes and pressed her ear harder against his chest, listening in on his pounding heart. "But you are right I'm more hurt with Jiraiya. He knew this whole time who my father was and kept it a secret from me. He never even hinted that he knew my father."

Maybe if there had been a hint that he knew who her father was then she wouldn't be this upset with him.

Even though he sat right behind her, the whiskered teen could feel a frown being formed from behind her hair. _He must be thinking really hard on how to ask his next question._ That was kind of the tell-tale sign when it came to Shouto. She knew if she just turned around then she would be greeted by her boyfriend knitting his eyebrows together.

"Did he tell you why he never told you until now?"

The whiskered teen wrinkled her nose. "It is a really crappy reason."

_Protecting me from Iwa? I needed protection from the whole village if they went with that idea._ Naruto scowled. The villagers had never laid a hand on her except for that incident with the Matron. Ignoring her and making her feel like crap was just as bad as some foreign nin trying to kill her. If a foreign nin killed her then it would have been a physical death.

What Konoha did to her nearly killed her mind.

A tiny squeak escaped from her lips when Shouto rubbed his left hand against her back. It was not the cold that surprised her but the fact her whole body tingled from the touch. Was it weird? Was it normal? She didn't know. Then again, it felt common when he touched her like this. If he moved upwards then he would touch her upper back.

If she wanted then she could just move his hand up but she wouldn't do it.

She couldn't do it because she already demanded a hug and asking for more might make her selfish.

"Are you going to stay here?" He asked softly.

Naruto frowned and closed her eyes as those mismatch eyes observed her. It was a valid question for her boyfriend to ask her since she did storm off from her apartment. What was she going to do? Did she want to stay here? Or did she want to go back to her apartment now that it was a Sunday? It was rather hard for her to decide.

Could she even go back to her apartment and face Jiraiya? That was a factor for her to consider. He was still considered her guardian here and then there was the fact that he was still training her. _I haven't even mastered Senjutsu and my taijutsu still needs a little bit work._ That would be the reason for her to go back there.

Her valuables were important too.

"I will probably go back in a few days," Naruto admitted. Her blue eyes focused on her boyfriend before flickering her eyes to the pictures of Kenji-sensei with his family. "I just need some space from him until I can look him in the eye without having the desire to knock him out with a punch. I…I just need time to think whether or not I can forgive him."

Shouto knitted his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"If I say I forgive him while I'm still hurt or furious then it isn't good for me or for Jiraiya," she explained. Shouto blinked and blinked, looking like he was trying hard to understand what she meant, and the blonde quirked her lips into a tiny smile. "I came to learn that when I forced myself to forgive someone, I don't really feel good about myself."

Shouto hummed and Naruto looked at the television screen. _It feels different to forgive when you aren't constantly around the person who hurt your feelings._ She always had to forgive Sakura-chan because they were teammates. Teammates had to work together in harmony so she had to swallow down her pride and anger to make things work for them.

Teammates should never hurt each other as Kakashi-sensei would tell them but he never talked about the emotional pain she always felt. A crippling pain that kept on festering inside of her, ready to overwhelm her until she broke down. _A pain that doesn't seem to heal at all._ Maybe it did not heal because she never really talked about it to her therapist.

It felt like a taboo to her.

That maybe it was rather normal to experience these things.

"Holding onto the hurt and resentment isn't healthy either," Shouto observed. Naruto swirled her head up to her boyfriend, who resumed rubbing her back. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "That is something I realized after the Sports Festival. I have no idea of whether or not to forgive Endeavour but I know I won't be a good Hero if I hold onto my resentment."

Naruto nodded and bit her tongue back from telling him not to forgive his father. She hated the man for what he put the boy through but it was not her place to tell him to forgive his father or not. Endeavour was his abuser and only Shouto had the right to decide of what he wanted to do with the man. Everyone had different ideas of forgiveness.

But there was only one thing she would admit.

"I just don't know what to do," Naruto admitted, curling her lips into a frown. "How do you go about forgiveness? Do I want to forgive him? That is something I still haven't figure out and I probably won't figure out until I talk Hashimoto-sensei. If I forgive him, is it the most healthy thing for me to do?"

Shouto hummed and let out a tiny sigh.

"If we knew the answer to all those questions then there wouldn't be a need for therapy."

Naruto nodded and closed her eyes. It was oddly reassuring how Shouto didn't have the answers to the questions that spilled out of her mouth, only admitting that the whole thing was just not an easy concept. People always made it seem like once a person forgave then the whole pain would just fade away.

They made it seem like not forgiving someone would be a terrible thing to do. _But you can still be a good person if you don't forgive right?_ It wouldn't make a person a monster if they ever decided not to forgive someone. What if forgiving a person didn't heal them? That was another thing for her to wonder.

There was always a sense of belief in her that she would be a monster not to forgive someone, but Shouto didn't guilt her into thinking that she should just suck it up and forgive Jiraiya. _Just pick the option that makes you feel like it is the most healthy for you._ That felt like the underlying message between them.

"Thank you, Homeostasis."

Shouto blinked. "For what?"

The blonde curled her lips into a tiny smile and twisted her whole body around till her feet dangled on either sides of his hips. A lot of things came to her mind but there was one action that she wanted to give him. She widened her smile and pressed her lips against his own before wrapping her arms around him.

His whole body stiffened before he returned her hug.

"For being there for me," Naruto finally answered. She pushed herself slightly off of her boyfriend and brought her hand to his left cheek, stroking it as her blue eyes focused on him. "You have always been there for me when I needed you, even when I was being unreasonable or being an absolute bitch to you."

Her throat tightened as Shouto eyed the hand that continued to stroke his left cheek. Hesitance and skepticism shone through his eyes but the whiskered teen knew it was not from her words. It was the fact that her hand continued to caress his left side of his face, always lingering on the scar that his father caused him to have.

"You are stroking my left cheek," Shouto stated with a hesitant tone.

The fact that tone came out of his mouth brought an ache to her chest. _That scar is almost like my whisker marks to him._ He probably wouldn't admit it but he probably did hate what that scar represented to him. But just like how he found her whisker marks to add to her beauty, she liked that scar on his face.

It showed her that he survived something traumatic.

"I like your left cheek," Naruto hummed as she resumed stroking his cheek. "I find it to be just as pretty as the right side cheek."

Shouto looked away from her, but the whiskered teen knew if she just pressed her head against his chest then she would hear his heartbeat racing at her words. It was rather clear to her that her words moved him or he wouldn't have looked away from her. The smile on her lips widened as she continued to stroke his cheek.

"It isn't that nice," he muttered.

Naruto shook her head and pressed her lips against the scar before moving down to the corner of his lips. Growing up, the boy lost the two sources of comfort. His eldest brother was missing while his mother couldn't come back home yet. There hadn't been a lot of people who would have hugged him or even give him a simple kiss on the cheek.

Her heart ached at the knowledge and if it wasn't for the fact that she could sense Kenji-sensei standing right beside the door leading to the living room, she would have done more than give him a simple kiss on the cheek or lips.

"Shouto, I like everything about you even the thing that you don't like," Naruto admitted. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and the whiskered teen touched his scar. "That scar on your face tells me just how resilient you are and just how amazing you are as a person."

She wished she could show him the faded scar that Sasuke gave her but this was not the time or place.

Besides, Naruto had a feeling that Kenji-sensei would be jumping to conclusion of what was happening between them and that was the last thing she needed from him.

* * *

_Why isn't anyone noticing an unconscious body on the side of the road?_

Tomoyo frowned as she stopped in her steps to look at the man, who laid unconscious on the ground. It had been a good idea for her to insist to her fellow interns that they should leave the bar or else this poor man would still be unconscious. But she didn't understand why a few of her colleagues insisted to walk her back home.

If it wasn't for the fact that those kidnappers had been Iwa nins then she would have been fine. _I'm not a damsel in distress._ Her father taught her how to defend herself after that incident with the Quirk Ring. Tomoyo curled her lips into a thin line and knelt down to examine the unconscious man before her.

It would be lying if she didn't admit that his appearance terrified her. So many burnt marks decorated the man, who looked like he would be around the same age as Eisuke. _There is too many medical staples._ Her stomach rolled with worry as her own violet eyes continued to inspect the man in front of her.

Even though his appearance terrified her, her heart lurched at whatever hell that the man went through. Scars like those did not look like someone inflicted it upon him. It looked more like he inflicted them on himself and that was so much worse if you asked her. It meant the man was probably a troubled person.

Probably someone who did not care about the value of his own life.

"Uzumaki-senpai, what are you doing?"

Tomoyo blinked and swirled her head at her junior, who looked at her with curious and concerned eyes. _Can't he see that there is an unconscious man in front of me?_ The words were on the tip of her tongue, ready for her to be whipped like one of those horse whips but she swallowed it down. It would be irrational for her to take out her irritation on the man.

She inhaled and exhaled as her junior shuffled closer to her. Even though her eyes were now focused on the scarred man on the ground, the grey-haired woman could tell the male was terrified of what could be her newest patient. It was rather understandable. To a normal person, it would look like the man was a zombie.

But he was human and he needed treatment.

"I'm going to patch him up," Tomoyo declared. Her voice hung in the air as her junior jerked his head at her. It was not that surprising if you asked her. The male was unconscious and judging from the thinness of his body, she would have to guess that he was malnourished. There seemed to be some bleeding too but was it caused from the burnt marks? Or was it something else entirely?

Well she wouldn't know until she went back to her apartment and diagnose him properly.

Shaking her head, the young woman placed the man's burnt arm around her shoulder and looked over her shoulder to stare at her junior. The younger male looked at her like she was insane for basically declaring that she would heal the man. But they had an oath to heal everyone and Tomoyo would do her job like a professional.

_I will just make sure not to have a repeat of what happened last time._ She had been naïve to believe no one would caught onto the fact that she used her Quirk and chakra to heal people. If it had not been for Naruto and the Kazekage then she would be on her way to Iwa. She would have ended up in a breeding program and Tomoyo had no intention of going through that experience.

Any child she would have in that program might not end up being loved by her. They might end up being abused by her like how Touya had been and she didn't want that. Breeding programs could break a person, no matter how mentally strong they were. Tomoyo grimaced and shook her head at the thought.

"You can't be seriously considering patching him up with those scars!" Her junior argued. "You are off the clock, Uzumaki-senpai!"

_But it doesn't mean I can't heal someone when they need it._ She gazed on the black hair of her newest patient before moving down to the man's clothes. It looked a little bit too small on him, which either indicated that he was homeless or he could not be bothered to take care of himself. She pressed her lips into a thin line.

If it was the latter then she could put him in hospital but if it was the former then Tomoyo really would have to take him home. _He won't have any money on him and the hospital won't take in someone who can't pay._ Even though her mother's hospital was a public one, it was still considered a business.

The director would be furious with her if she brought in a patient who can't pay for his own treatment.

"Just because I'm not working, doesn't mean I can't help someone in need," Tomoyo finally said.

Her junior scowled. "He could be a Villain for all we know! Or a killer! He looks like he could be either of those things."

Tomoyo swirled her head at her junior and took in a very deep breath. It was always a possibility but it would be wrong of them to withhold treatment for those reasons. Killers deserved treatment as well. They were living beings as well and every living being deserved the right to be treated. This was something her mother taught her.

A value her mother imparted on her and Haruto.

"He could be the most wanted man in the world and I will still treat him," she declared. Her junior opened and closed his mouth but the woman was not going to listen to his argument. The killer angle did not work for her. Her father, uncles and even some of her older relatives were killers and that did not make them a bad person.

Even a Hero could be a killer if pushed to the limit.

_The only difference between a hero and a villain is how they choose to follow the law._ Tomoyo shook her head and took a closer inspection of her newest patient. Even though there was only now a single light shining on the man, she could make out his general face shape and the hairline of his hair. Maybe it was foolish of her but he reminded her of someone.

_Maybe I miss him so much that I am starting to think anyone with that kind of hairstyle and jawline is __**him**_. She curled her lips into a bitter smile and looked at the burnt scars under his eyes. Maybe it was because it was that time of the year. It would have been around this time of the year when he decided to run away from his hell.

She could never understand the hell Touya went through but Tomoyo would always wonder if her friend was doing alright. If he was happy with the decision he made for himself or if he was still a ball of anger and hurt that was ready to unleash on the people around him. Tomoyo sighed and looked up at the night sky.

"_Cursed? I think your Quirk is a blessing, Tomo-chan!"_

She only healed the physical wounds but Tomoyo wished she had been able to heal the emotional wounds caused by his father.

"We made an oath to treat the injured and I'm keeping to that oath."

* * *

**Author Note:** So Kenji and Shouto have met while Naruto did some reflection with Shouto. Tomoyo decides to patch up Dabi despite the warning from the people around her.

**Question 1:** What do you think of the whole conversation between Naruto and Shouto?

**Question 2:** How do you think Naruto will react when she learns that Bakugou is her cousin?

**Question 3:** What do you think of the character interactions and development throughout the three books?

Do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and what could be improved on.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters.

**Author note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter. For anyone who wondered why I deleted the last chapter, it is because I made a lot of changes to the final part of the chapter.

* * *

"_Naruto, why aren't you wearing a school uniform?"_

Itsuka frowned and knitted her eyebrows at the sight of Naruto standing outside of the gates of her house. It was Monday. Not just any Monday but the day where they would find out if they passed all of their exams or if one of them were going to be stuck in summer school. Even though they were only getting their results, it was expected for them to wear their school uniform.

Her friend only wore a pair of jeans and a simple orange shirt and Yuuei wouldn't let her in with that outfit.

_But that isn't the only problem, Naruto is nervous._ The way her friend rubbed the back of her neck and couldn't look her in the eye was hardly normal. Itsuka had always known the blonde to be confident or stoic at times but never nervous. The fact that the blonde kept swaying side to side made her stomach roll with worry.

"I spent the weekend with my mother's family," Naruto finally answered. A sheepish smile played on her lips as blue eyes focused on her. "So I, uh, kinda forgot to bring my school uniform when I went over to their house."

Itsuka blinked and blinked as her mind processed what the blonde admitted to her. There wasn't much that the girl knew about Naruto except for the fact she had a famous Guardian. There was the possibility of her junior being a member of her family since the whiskered teen and Akane shared the same last name, but it hadn't been confirmed.

Actually, it would be better for her to say that Naruto hadn't talked about it since the confrontation between them.

_I really want to ask her about it especially now that Uzumaki apologized to me._ The desire to know more about Naruto was always great, not because of the lack of facts that the girl gave but because Naruto saved her. There had been an opportunity for the girl to just leave her be but the whiskered teen rescued her.

But even if Itsuka wanted to learn more about the girl in front of her, the orange-haired girl knew from the way the blonde shuffled her feet that the girl wouldn't tell her anything. _I'm not Todoroki-san or Nejire_. Those two could get Naruto to open up while she had to work a little bit more harder to get things from her.

It was frustrating at times but Itsuka knew it would be worth it in the end.

"Do you want to borrow my uniform?"

She darted her eyes to the door before looking back at the whiskered teen. There would be enough time for Naruto to get changed and for them to get to class without getting into trouble with their homeroom teachers. Itsuka grimaced. Kan-sensei would be very irritated if he saw that she was late, even more if she told him that she was helping out a friend from class 1A.

Just like the other members of their class, Kan-sensei had a very strange rivalry with Class 1A.

"Yeah," Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm sorry about this."

It was not the first time the blonde had ever apologized to her but it still made Itsuka blink whenever the girl did it. Maybe it was just her but whenever Naruto apologized, she could see a little glimpse of the real Naruto. Not the Naruto, who was confident or even the girl who ignored her attempts of friendship.

But a girl who probably went through a lot.

"I should warn you that my shirt might be a little bit snug for you," Itsuka informed the girl as the two of them turned back in the direction of her house. Her teal eyes darted to her friend's chest before looking down at her. It might be a slight difference but it could affect her comfort levels if you asked her.

Even though Nejire did an amazing job with convincing Naruto to wear clothes that were properly her size, the whiskered teen still seemed to prefer wearing outfits slightly larger than her actual size. _It can't be help when she has Mineta as a classmate._ Itsuka frowned and darted her eyes to the blonde. It must be a challenge for the girl to have the male as a classmate.

The girls of Class 1A always had to be vigilant when it came to the pervert.

"If it is too snug for me then I will ask Yaoyorozu to make me a spare shirt," Naruto reassured her with a rather large smile playing on her lips.

Itsuka nodded and observed the girl carefully as the two of them walked towards her house. Nothing about their conversation really stood out to her but that smile made her stomach churn. Maybe it was because she now saw the girl with a real smile on her face, since that smile didn't feel genuine anymore.

It felt fake but not the kind of fake smile where people would lie to you about what they thought of you. No, Naruto had never made that kind of smile towards her but a fake smile where they didn't want to worry a person.

"Naruto, are you alright?"

The whiskered teen stopped in her steps and looked at her for the longest time. No emotions shone through her blue eyes, almost reminding the orange-haired girl of their second meeting. The memory brought a small frown to her lips as her teal eyes continued to observe her friend. Would Naruto tell her anything? Or was she going to keep quiet like last time?

She hoped not.

It would be hard for her to help Naruto if the girl didn't admit if something was wrong. How do you help someone who didn't want to admit that they need help? That was not something they discussed in class. There was probably some ethics in it but Itsuka wasn't certain. What she was certain was that she could not push someone who was not ready to talk.

"It is a really complicated situation," the whiskered teen finally answered. Itsuka blinked and jerked her head at the blue-eyed girl, who had her eyes fixated on the window. "I…I think I'm going to be fine so you don't need to worry about me, Itsuka-chan."

"How can I not worry about you?" Itsuka asked with a frown. "You're my friend, Naruto."

The whiskered teen smiled but the teal-eyed girl could see the surprise in her eyes at the words coming out of her mouth. It didn't really surprise her to see Naruto being shocked by her reply. Whenever someone acknowledged their friendship to the girl, Naruto would get that look like she didn't expect people to acknowledge their relationship with her.

She did not understand nor could she bring herself to pry the reason out of Naruto. _There are just certain things that I can never understand even if I read a book about it._ Itsuka sighed. It would be nice if someone could explain things to her but neither Yaoyorozu, Setsuna nor Asui could fully figure out why the blonde behaved in this way.

"And you are also my precious friend," Naruto answered with a small smile.

Itsuka curled her lips into a smile and looked up at the morning sky, breathing in the crisp summer air as the whiskered teen gulped down the lump in her throat. She didn't know why but the blonde would always do that whenever she thought she wasn't watching her. Maybe it was so she could keep her cool factor or maybe because Naruto thought she would think less of her if she knew the girl was a crybaby.

The orange-haired girl liked that side of her friend because it showed just how really emotional she was.

"You know you don't have to bottle up your emotions around me, Naruto-chan," Itsuka declared, looking back at the blonde. A smile played on her lips as she pulled out the keys from her school bag. "You know if you have any problems then you can always talk about it with me, Setsuna and especially Nejire-chan!"

Naruto smiled even wider but Itsuka could see the lingering doubt in her eyes. It did not really bother her. Maybe it would have in the beginning but it was considered a win for her that the blonde would show her this much emotions. The blond-haired girl in the beginning of the school year would never show this much emotions.

The fact that the blonde did show this much emotions meant that they were growing closer as friends.

"Thank you, Itsuka-chan," Naruto replied.

Itsuka cracked a smile and pushed open the door.

"Thank me after you changed into my uniform."

Her friend was really being silly for thanking her for being there for her.

_We are friends and friends always help each other out._

* * *

"_E-Everyone, I-I'm looking forward to hearing all of your stories!"_

Naruto curled her lips into a frown as Ashido cries echoed throughout the classroom. It had been only a few days since the practical exams and her classmates still did not get over their results. If anything, it seemed like they had gotten worse if those dark lines on their face alongside the dark circles were of any indication to her.

She could not blame them for reacting this way.

The whiskered teen took in another deep breath and shuffled closer to the group of failed students, stopping just next to Hagakure. The invisible girl stood right next to Ashido, patting her back while Kaminari and the others hung their head up to the sky. To anyone else, they might believe that their reactions were dramatic but Naruto understood how painful it felt to watch everyone passed while they failed.

"_Sorry Naruto but you failed."_

Those words would be repeated whenever she failed the chance to graduate the early exam. She would always sit in those swings near the Academy and watched as happy students walked out of the door with a shiny new Hitai-ate and a smile on their face. Whenever that happened, her stomach would churn with jealously and sadness.

"D-Don't cry!" Midoriya stuttered, waving his hands in the air to the group of failed students. He glanced at her, looking as if he wanted her to reassure them but Naruto only shook her head. There was nothing for her to say that could cheer them up. "For all we know, Aizawa-sensei could surprise you and tell you that you can't go."

Her frown deepened at those words and the whiskered teen shook her head. The words came from a good intention but from her own experience with failing…those words were not at all helpful. They just build expectations and when that expectation did not happen then people got bitter. People got hurt and blamed it on the person who gave them that false expectation.

"That isn't going to stop their gloomy mood," Naruto informed Midoriya as her hand hovered over Ashido's other shoulder. Her blue eyes darted to Kaminari, who looked at her with longing and the whiskered teen knitted her eyebrows together. Why did he look at her like that? Was there something that she was missing? She glanced at Shouto.

Her boyfriend had a stoic look but his eyes looked irritated as he fixated them on Kaminari.

"You are giving them false hopes by saying those words," Sero explained to Midoriya. He patted the green-haired boy's shoulder and looked almost solemn but Naruto could see the twinkle of amusement in his black eyes. _Should he be this confident?_ The question was just on the tip of her tongue, ready to be whipped out but Naruto swallowed it down.

Even if she suspected Aizawa-sensei would mark him down for getting knocked out so quickly by Midnight's Quirk, it would make her a terrible person to pour out her suspicion. _I don't want to be actually known as a bitch or a monster._ She grimaced. Those two degradory names were one that she didn't like being called.

The monster name reminded her of the Matron.

"They did their best," Naruto reminded everyone.

Kaminari swirled his head at her and stretched his arm out like he wanted to hug her, only to swirl his head in the opposite direction. With a small frown playing on her lips, the whiskered teen followed his line of sight and blinked when she saw that Kaminari stared at Bakugou. Her fellow blonde looked like he wanted to murder the blond-haired boy standing right beside her.

_What the hell is going on with Bakugou?_ She knitted her eyebrows together and glanced at Midoriya. The green-haired boy only frowned, looking just as befuddled as her. Well now it was good to know she was not the only one who found Bakugou's behavior to be weird. Honestly he looked like the stuff of nightmares with that glare on his face.

"Our best wasn't good enough," Kaminari muttered with a chest-fallen look. "If we failed the exams with our best efforts then we can't go to the training camp with you guys."

Midoriya frowned and shook his head. "But you did do your best and maybe Aizawa-sensei will see that and decide you guys should come along with us to the training camp."

Naruto frowned and knitted her eyebrows together. Aizawa-sensei was a great teacher and a fair man but she would never think for one moment he would be that kind to these students. Simply allowing them to come was not his style. The only reason he would let them come was if there was a loophole in his wording that none of them had realized.

Right now she couldn't recall what Aizawa-sensei informed them in terms of the condition of going to the summer training camp with everyone else.

"Don't you remember what Aizawa-sensei said?" Kaminari grumbled. A dark look passed over his face as he locked eyes with Midoriya, and Naruto scooted even closer to Ashido. "We failed the practical exam and that means we are stuck in hell! I won't ever have my chance of showing my moves to Uzumaki or have fun with you guys!"

_What moves?_ Naruto winced as her fellow blonde shoved his two fingers at Midoriya's eyes. That was going to be painful if you asked her and very much undeserved. The whiskered teen frowned. Then again she would react the same way if she was in their shoes. Actually she would probably react even worse than Kaminari.

Shaking her head, the whiskered teen strolled straight to Midoriya. Her green-haired friend clutched his eyes, whimpering and the blonde had to give him credit for not crying about the pain. _A few months ago, he would be weeping about the pain. _She exhaled and inspected the boy for any other wounds that Kaminari might not have intentionally caused.

It seemed like only his eyes had been hurt.

"We all know you have no chance with Uzumaki," Sero declared, throwing a glance at her before moving to Shouto and Bakugou. Kaminari only scowled at the boy's words as Naruto locked eyes with her two classmates. _Since when did Kaminari like me in that way?_ The words were on the tip of her tongue but the whiskered teen swallowed it down as her blue eyes continued to observe Midoriya.

She shouldn't focus on the weirdness of her male classmates and their weird words. Instead she should focus on the fact that her green-haired friend was injured.

"Hey Shouto, Midoriya needs your ice," Naruto finally said, twisting her head around to look at her boyfriend. First Aid might not be her specialty but ice seemed like it would help with the pain. She patted Midoriya's back and watched as Shouto walked straight towards them. The whiskered teen sighed when her boyfriend directed one cold look at Kaminari.

The older boy flinched and Naruto raised an eyebrow at Shouto. Her boyfriend couldn't meet her eyes, only choosing instead to focus on making the ice that Midoriya needed. _I don't understand why he reacted in that way._ She curled her lips into a frown. It was not like him to show hostility to people especially to someone as ridiculous as Kaminari.

_Slam._

The door swung opened, forcing Naruto to look away from her irritated boyfriend and onto the person who entered the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of an unimpressed Aizawa-sensei stomping to the podium. _He is going to scold us for not being in our seats._ The whiskered teen sighed and quickly strolled back to her seat.

The booklets slammed onto the podium as their teacher began to scan the classroom. His black eyes lingered on her before moving to Midoriya, who still held the ice against his eyes like it was his lifeline. A frown played on Aizawa-sensei's lips and he raised an eyebrow at her. _What happened to Midoriya?_ That was what his eyes asked her.

Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line and slowly pointed to Kaminari. What was her teacher going to do if he knew her classmate decided to take his feelings out on Midoriya? It looked like nothing if you asked her. The understanding in his eyes told her that the man knew Kaminari didn't mean to intentionally hurt the green-haired boy.

"The moment the bell rings, you should be in your seats!" Aizawa-sensei locked eyes with Kaminari and the blond-haired boy winced. "You shouldn't be causing a commotion or hurting your fellow classmate."

Everyone winced at the harsh tone coming out of their homeroom teacher's voice before rushing back to their seats. They stole glances at Kaminari, who looked at Midoriya with guilty eyes. A part of Naruto felt guilty for admitting to her teacher on who caused the injury but well he would figure it out eventually.

Aizawa-sensei shook his head and leaned his body forward, black eyes sweeping throughout the class. Naruto couldn't really tell what was going through his mind but the blonde knew from the booklet that they were going to discuss about the camp. Well she hoped he was goings to talk about it and how many of them could go on the trip.

They knew who failed the practical exams but what about the written paper?

"I'm sure all of you are wondering who will be going to the training camp," Aizawa-sensei paused and eyed everyone in the classroom. No emotion flashed through his eyes but Naruto knew from the little twitch on his lips that her teacher was planning something. "Well it seems like _all _of you will be going to the forest lodge."

Crickets echoed throughout the classroom as the students processed what their teacher just informed them. Naruto opened and closed her mouth, uncertain whether to laugh at the trick that the man put on them or to curse herself for not realizing that this would have been the result. In the end, she simply decided to scoot closer to Shouto.

"Y'know I am starting to think Midoriya can predict the future," Naruto informed Shouto as their other classmates burst out in cheers. Her boyfriend hummed and stole a glance at the green-haired boy, who still rubbed the ice over his eyes. The poor boy had been right to think that maybe Aizawa-sensei would surprise them.

_It might teach Kaminari to control his feelings._ Naruto snuck a glance at Kaminari, who kept flickering his eyes to Midoriya. Her fellow blonde looked at the green-haired boy with such guilty eyes. It was understandable to a point if you asked her. She cried and punched the walls of her apartment every time she failed the graduation exam but not once did she take it out on a person.

Then again after being on the receiving end of Sakura's punches, the whiskered teen knew how painful it could be to be punch for something that wasn't completely their fault. Naruto grimaced and shook her head. No, there had been some punches that had been very much well-deserved if she thought about it.

"But some of us failed the practical exam," Ojiro pointed out. He frowned and knitted his eyebrows together before focusing his attention on the black-haired man, who picked up the pile of booklets again.

Aizawa-sensei sighed and separated the booklets into piles. He handed the first pile to Hagakure, who immediately began to distribute the booklets to the people behind her, and focused his attention on Ojiro. His black eyes did not show any emotions, which made it hard for Naruto to know what was going through his mind.

Then again, her teacher was not the most easy person for anyone to read.

"The five students who failed the practical exam will be having extra lessons," Aizawa-sensei finally answered. Everyone knitted their eyebrows at the number and the black-haired man focused on the four students, who clearly failed before locking eyes on Sero. The black-haired teen slumped his shoulders. "I had such high expectations for _all of you _and a few of you disappointed me while others exceeded my expectations."

Aizawa-sensei darted his eyes from Bakugou to Midoriya and then finally landed on her. There might not be a proud smile on his face but that little gleam in his eyes told her of how proud he had been of them. Warmth tickled her stomach and Naruto looked down at her table. It felt weird for a teacher to be proud of her actions.

She didn't know whether she liked it or not but Naruto knew she didn't _dislike_ the acknowledgment coming out from him.

* * *

"There are so many things I need to bring!"

Naruto ran her hand through her hair as Shouto looked at her with concern. She knew why he was concern for her since she essentially declared she was not going back to her apartment until her rage cools down. But with the whole list of items on display for her, the whiskered teen knew that she only had two options.

She could either buy or go back to her apartment earlier than she planned and begin to pack her stuff.

"You might have to do some shopping," Shouto observed.

Naruto pulled a face. "That sounds like a nightmare to me especially when I left my damn wallet back at the apartment with Ero-Sennin. Now I actually will have to go back to my apartment earlier than I planned."

Her classmates turned around and focused their eyes on her. Surprise leaked out of their eyes like they didn't imagine that she would leave the house without an apartment. Normally she would never do it especially after the lesson Jiraiya taught her in their first trip. The man might have spent all the hard-earned money in her wallet.

"Uzumaki, did you leave the apartment?" Uraraka asked, curling her lips into a frown. Some of the other girls nodded and all of them looked at her with concern. _It is genuine concern._ The words acted like a chant, reminding her of the fact that people could be genuinely good. That people could be trusted and could actually care for her.

The whiskered teen inhaled and bobbed her head. "I spent the last two nights with my mother's family."

The chairs shuffled as everyone swirled their heads to look at her. Their eyes widened and eagerness to know about her mother's family or maybe why would she spent the night over there. It could be for either reasons. The blonde hadn't told them about the fact that she had a family, or rather a clan, here and only Shouto knew why she didn't spent the night with Jiraiya.

"You never mentioned about your mother's family," Asui commented. Green eyes flashed with a thoughtful look and the girl tilted her head to the side. "Are you related to the girl who insulted Kendou-chan a few months ago?"

Naruto grimaced. "Yeah, it turns out her father was my mother's cousin."

Asui nodded while the whiskered teen rubbed the back of her neck as everyone continued to watch her. She didn't know whether it was a good idea or not to admit that she had family here. They might question her even more and asked why she didn't live with them. If they asked it then she couldn't answer it.

Not because she didn't want to or didn't even know how to lie but because she didn't know whether she could fully trust them or not.

"Why aren't you staying with the great Jiraiya?" Mineta demanded. His beady eyes looked almost concern but the whiskered teen could see his hands reaching out to her, almost like he wanted to comfort her. _If I knew you weren't the groping type, I might have allowed it._ The blonde stretched out her hand to twist him but Asui whacked him with her tongue.

She nodded her head at Asui as everyone began to gather around her table. Their eyes flashed with curiosity and worry at the knowledge that she didn't stay with her mentor. But what could she tell them? That her mentor kept her parents a secret from her? Or that there was a chance that she had a grandmother who actually wanted her.

Telling them about those things meant opening up about her life and well Naruto wasn't certain if she could take the next step.

"I don't want to talk about why I'm not staying with Jiraiya," Naruto announced, keeping her tone cold and calm. Uraraka and Midoriya exchanged glances but wisely chose not to question her. Even if Midoriya asked her about the reason then she wouldn't tell him. The whole topic felt too personal for her and not something she was ready to talk about.

The whiskered teen ran her hand through her hair and grimaced before looking down at her booklet as her classmates turned around, probably realizing that she wasn't going to budge on the topic. Now that they were done discussing about her own personal life, she was going to focus on the whole list of items that needed to be brought. Even if she returned back to her apartment, there wouldn't be a sleeping bag that she could use.

That was definitely something she needed to buy.

_Maybe I could get a better quality than the one I got in Konoha._ Naruto nibbled the end of her pen as her blue eyes focused on the list. A better quality sleeping bag would mean she might not shiver or wake up in the middle of the night because of the cold. In Konoha, her money didn't mean that she could buy the good stuff.

Sometimes she didn't even have enough money to pay for her rent since there had been some missions that they failed to do.

"Why the hell do we need swimwear?" Naruto asked, swirling her head at Shouto. Her boyfriend knitted his eyebrows and darted down to the list before curling his lips into a frown. If she had to guess from that face gesture then Shouto was just as clueless as she was for the reason. A frown played on her lips. "I guess I will have to go shopping."

Kaminari twisted his head around to look at her. "Do you want a second pair of eyes?"

"Well if Uzumaki wants someone to look then _you_ would be one of the last people she want to check her out," Sero snickered. His black eyes darted to Shouto and then landed on her. Naruto hummed and bobbed her head in agreement with her classmate. Kaminari was nice and everything but he was a pervert.

He would probably make her try an outfit that would reveal more than she felt comfortable to reveal her body to the world.

_I should be comfortable since I'm a kunoichi but it feels different from stripping down during the Chunin Exams._ Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and looked down at the list. At the age of 12, her chest hadn't been this large nor did she have anyone who wanted to look her in that way. But Kaminari and Mineta made it clear that they did look at her.

Then there was also the fact that Shouto might see her and that was even more nerve-wrecking for her. Naruto steadied her trembling arms and inhaled. _I like my eyes and my hair! I like the fact that I can throw one hell of a punch._ She had to remind herself of the things that she loved about herself or else _Ami's words _would haunt her again.

"There is a lot of stuff that we need to get," Yaoyorozu commented, twisting her whole body around to look at her before darting her eyes to the other members of the class. A frown played on her lips as her black eyes looked at her with concern. "Uzumaki, if there is anything else that you need that is outside of your budget—"

"Yaoyorozu, thank you but if you do that then I will pay you back."

The black-haired girl frowned and looked almost put off at her words but Naruto shook her head. It was nice of her classmate to offer to make things with her Kekkei Genkei but the blonde knew it went outside of her moral compass. _I can afford things now._ She exhaled and looked down at her hands before darting her eyes to her seat mate.

Maybe it was her imagination but the girl was acting slightly different to her. Not in a bad way but more like a thoughtful way that hadn't been there before. _Maybe I'm imagining things or maybe I'm just being a judgmental bitch again._ Yaoyorozu had always been a kind girl, maybe a little bit self-conscious but only because Mineta could make anyone self-conscious.

"Then can you make me a bathing suit?" Kaminari asked Yaoyorozu.

The black-haired girl frowned. "I can but I don't have a good image of what kind of bathing suit you would like."

"Never mind," Kaminari muttered, looking put off by Yaoyorozu's words. Yaoyorozu frowned and knitted her eyebrows together before darting her eyes to Naruto. Confusion flashed through her eyes like she didn't know what she said wrong and Naruto shrugged. It was not like she knew what was going through the boy's mind.

_I might live with a pervert but I don't know the mind of one._ The whiskered teen sighed and shook her head before looking down at the booklet. Right now it would be a good idea for her to calculate just how much money she would need to spend on the trip. It looked like it could be a lot but maybe there were just a few things that she could save on.

The flashlight was something that she had in her house but the gym clothes would be a problem.

"Are you sure that you don't need Yaoyorozu to make something for you?" Shouto asked quietly. Naruto blinked and jerked her head at the sight of her boyfriend leaning closer to her. He lowered his voice to the point that she had to strain her ears. "I can buy some of the items for you, Naruto."

The blonde felt her throat drying up at the offer made by him. She shouldn't be this touch by an offer from him but it was incredibly sweet of him to allow her the opportunity to use some of his money. _If I was anyone else, I would take him up on the offer._ But she was Uzumaki Naruto and she had been able to fend for herself since she was five.

Just because she faced some issues with Jiraiya, did not mean that she had no courage to go back to her apartment to get the items that she needed.

"Thank you but I can handle it," Naruto declared. A smile played on her lips, not faltering one bit as Shouto continued to look at her with concern. What would the worse thing that could happen to her? There would either be a screaming match between her and Jiraiya or her simply walking out of the apartment with her stuff without greeting the man.

It wouldn't be a huge deal when she considered it in that way.

"So what are the two of you discussing about?" Ashido asked, twisting her whole body around to look at them. Her yellow eyes gleamed with interest and excitement which made Naruto's stomach twist with worry. Her classmate was not known for being subtle. "Are the two of you talking about how fun the camp is going to be? Or is Todoroki offering to be the one to help you pick your swim suit?"

Naruto blinked as her whole mind turned blank at the question. _Shouto helping me pick my swim suit?_ The question made her cheeks burned a huge shade of red as her boyfriend looked almost considerate at the idea. Did he really want to do that? Not that she wouldn't mind but it was way too soon if she thought about it.

Stream erupted from the ends of her ears as the blonde choked out. "T-That was not what we were talking about, Ashido!"

Her pink-skinned classmate crackled with glee while everyone turned around to look at her. Several of the boys blinked and their eyes widened before looking away from her. _Why the hell do they look away from me? I'm human too! I can get embarrassed._ She scowled and covered her face as Shouto shot a look of disapproval from the girl.

"You know I never thought Uzumaki can get this embarrassed," Asui commented.

Several of the girls bobbed their heads in agreement while Naruto covered her face even more. _My reputation is ruined._ Now everyone would see that she couldn't deal with compliments. They were probably going to tease her or think how much of a hypocrite she could be when it came to her confidence.

A warm hand patted her back and the whiskered teen peaked through the gaps of her hand to see Shouto looking at her with confusion. _I don't like acting like a girl._ The fact she blushed like a stupid little girl meant that people might start to think she was weak. People might see through the fact despite her so-called confidence that she could be very self-conscious.

"Y'know we all have things that we need to buy," Hagakure commented. Naruto took in a deep breath and willed for her blush to die away before looking back at the girl. "And tomorrow all of us have a day off, so why don't we all go shopping together to the mall?"

Several of her classmates nodded while Naruto poked her tongue against her cheeks. It would be a good idea for her to get to know her classmates which would probably help her in convincing Aizawa-sensei that she was getting better. It would also probably be a good step with conquering her fear, wouldn't it? Well she didn't know.

But tomorrow was also the day that she would have to go to therapy. Maybe a few months ago, she would take it as an opportunity to skip the session even if she wouldn't open up to her classmates. But things were different now. As Shouto once pointed out to her, she had a habit of judging people immediately.

There was also the fact that even though Nejire-chan was teaching her how to love herself, she had to learn how to deal with the fact that she didn't fully know how to do it.

"Are you going to come, Uzumaki?" Yaoyorozu asked.

Naruto blinked and jerked her head at the black-haired girl. Black eyes shone with curiosity and desire like she actually wanted her to join in with the fun. No, it did not feel like that. It was more like the girl wanted to partake in the activity because she wanted to prove something to her and that made her pause.

Maybe she was being paranoid but the whiskered teen felt like the girl knew more than she was letting on.

"I have got plans," Naruto finally answered.

"Is it work?" Uraraka asked, curling her lips into a frown as she turned around to face her. "Because you can ask your boss for a break, can't you?"

_She will give it to me if I tell her that I want to hang out with my classmates and prepare for my trip._ The woman was too good to her if you asked her but it wasn't work. This was something she had to do because people were counting on her to get better. Aizawa-sensei took a risk with her and allowed her to continue on with the program with the condition that she attended her meeting.

She should admit that she had therapy but her stomach churned with worry. Would they think she was weak for not sucking up about her problems? Shouto understood but what about the others? What if they thought less of her? Well she wasn't completely close to them but it felt wrong to admit to them.

"I've got a dentist appointment," Naruto finally answered.

Uraraka and the others bobbed their heads, looking at her with understanding but only two people didn't look convinced by her words. Midoriya frowned and stared at her like he wanted to know what her real plans were but Naruto only scowled. The other person was Bakugou. The boy scowled, looking at her like she was the worst liar in the world.

_I'm a pretty good liar._ Naruto twisted her lips into a grimace. Until she came to Japan, the only people who could tell when she was lying had been Hinata and Sasuke. They always knew _I'm fine_ did not mean she was actually fine, but only Hinata-chan could see through her smiles. The girl had always been good when it came to reading people.

Naruto frowned and looked down at her booklet. Was Hinata-chan doing alright? Neji was no longer an ass but what about her father? No, it would be okay. Her best friend had Hanabi now alongside Kiba and the other members of her team. Kurenai took good care of her friend when her father disinherited her.

"Oi Whiskers!"

The blonde jerked her head away from the booklet and blue eyes widened at the sight of Bakugou standing before her. His red eyes seized her up and flashed with irritation, no doubt from the fact that she didn't pay much attention to him. What did he expect? She had a life outside of school and it was normal for her to get distracted.

"What do you want, Explosive Head?" Naruto asked. The chatter from the class suddenly died down as everyone turned around to look at them. Even though her eyes focused on the irritated eyes of Bakugou, she could feel the curiosity radiating out from her classmates. But a quick glance at her classmates told her that there were three people who weren't curious.

Shouto frowned while Midoriya knitted his eyebrows like he didn't understand what was going on. Yaoyorozu pressed her lips into a thin line like she didn't like the tone coming out of Bakugou.

"I have something to talk to you about after school."

Everyone grew silent as they processed the fact that Bakugou did not scream those words out loud. No, his tone was calm and quiet. Not something anyone would associate with the blond-haired boy in front of her. Naruto frowned and felt her stomach churned with confusion. What would he want to talk to her about? And why after school? Something didn't seem right.

She curled her lips into a frown as Ashido flickered her eyes between them. Understanding shone through her yellow eyes alongside another emotion that Naruto knew all too well from her time as someone who would ship her friends together. Excitement. That excitement never spelled anything good from her experience.

"Bakugou is going to confess his love to Uzumaki!"

Bakugou growled.

"Don't jump to conclusion, Pinky!"

Naruto nodded and knitted her eyebrows together as red eyes refused to meet her own blue eyes. That kind of love was not something Bakugou wanted to talk to her about. No, it had to be something else. Something told her that the boy had another reason for deciding to talk to her after school.

Something told her that it might be the reason why he couldn't look her in the eyes.

* * *

"_Something seems to be bothering you, Naru-chan."_

Naruto looked away from her bowl of ramen and focused her eyes on Nejire before flickering her eyes at Itsuka and Setsuna. What had they have been talking about? Probably something about the forest lodge. It wouldn't surprise her if both of her friends from Class B questioned Nejire-chan about what was going to happen during their trip.

She probably should have engaged but Ashido's words nagged her. The idea of Explosive Head liking her in that way sat her the wrong way, not because of who he was but it felt wrong to ever develop feelings for him. They were too similar to each other and she liked Shouto. The boy had made it clear he knew about her feelings towards Shouto.

_You were probably too busy making those eyes._

That irritated tone echoed in her ears, reminding her of how Bakugou knew her own feelings before she did. _But is it enough for people to think he have __**those kind **__of feelings for me?_ She pressed her lips into a very thin line as irritated red eyes flashed before her. It felt impossible if you asked her but she might be wrong.

"Uzumaki, what is bothering you?" Setsuna asked. Naruto blinked and jerked her head at her friend, who tilted her head to the side as her muddy green eyes focused on her. _Bakugou is going to confess his love to Uzumaki._ Her throat burned at the idea and bile rose up to her throat. She knew that wasn't the case but why did people have to misunderstand her relationships.

_Have you heard? Sasuke-kun has a crush ons that ugly fox._ She clenched her jaws together as cruel eyes flashed before her. That rumor came out of nowhere. The boy never carried those kind of feelings towards her. They had been the best of friends alongside Hinata. He might have been an ass but he played with her and Hinata.

Not once had he ever hidden their friendship from the others but girls always misunderstood things.

_It is in the past and Ashido means well._ Naruto took in a deep breath and chanted those words to herself. Ashido was not Ami or the other girls in the Academy. They were different so she should push down her irritation and force herself to smile. This irritation inside of her made no sense when she thought about it.

No one needed to know about her irritation because it would just make her seem petty or even worse self-centered.

"It is nothing," Naruto plastered on a smile and locked eyes with her friends. All three of them glanced at each other, not looking one bit convinced by her words. _They know I'm lying._ It was hard for her to remember that people were different here. People actually took the time to observe things or maybe it was because they were friends.

Hinata-chan had never been convinced whenever she smiled and tell her that nothing was wrong with her team.

"If it was nothing then you would have gobbled that bowl of ramen in two seconds flat," Setsuna commented. The girl pushed her tray of food away and locked her muddy green eyes on her. "What is on your mind, Uzumaki? I doubt it is Todoroki or else you would have been making goo-goo eyes at him by now."

All of the blood inside her rushed to her cheeks as Setsuna looked at her with curiosity while Nejire and Itsuka shook their heads at the brash girl. _I don't make goo-goo eyes_. The protest was on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it down. Maybe it wasn't that obvious or else everyone else in her class would have taunted her for having such feelings.

She inhaled and looked down at her bowl of ramen. _Should I tell them of what happened? _It would be a good idea but her stomach churned with discomfort. What if they thought she was being self-centered for being uncomfortable with the idea? Sakura would tell her that she should be happy that someone liked her.

But she only liked one person and that was enough for her.

"Ashido seems convinced that Explosive Head has romantic feelings for me," Naruto finally admitted. She curled her lips into a frown and pushed her noodles back and forth as her blue eyes focused on her reflection. "But Explosive Head and me are friends at best and enemies at our worse. I-I don't understand how our interactions could make her think he has feelings for me."

Setsuna and the other girls exchanged glances, looking thoughtful at her confession, and the blonde only pushed her food back and forth. _Am I wrong when it comes to Bakugou's feelings to me? _He called her an idiot and you don't call the person that you have a crush on an idiot. Except it was Explosive Head and he wasn't like a normal person.

_Do you fucking think that I'm like them?_

That sounded like he cared but did it mean he liked her in that kind of way?

"I can see why Ashido would think Blasty likes you in that way," Setsuna rubbed the back of her neck and threw a look over her shoulder before looking back at her. A smile played on her lips and Naruto raised a single eyebrow at her friend. What the hell did that mean? The green-haired girl shook her head. "Blasty treats you differently from everyone else but I really don't believe he loves you in that way."

The confidence in her friend's eyes brought a tiny frown to the whiskered teen's face. _Thank god that I'm not the only one who thinks like this._ Naruto relaxed her shoulders and tilted her head to the side. Right if Explosive Head didn't like her in that way then what did he like her? There were a lot kind of loves when she thought about it.

_There are many types of love, Naru-chan._

Warm black eyes flashed before her eyes and Naruto felt her chest tightened at the memory. Not many people had been willing to explain love to her but Mikoto-obaachan had always made time to explain it to her. _There is the love between family, friends, siblings and a husband and wife._ The woman didn't fully elaborate them but she explained the different types.

Naruto knew the love between friends because she loved Hinata-chan. The love between a husband and wife was not what she knew but she knew her feelings for Shouto was different from her love to Hinata and Sasuke. The love of a family? She thought she had it with Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke but…

_They __**weren't**__ your family._

Maybe there was a difference but she probably would never know it. _I might have a living grandmother but she might not accept me._ It wasn't just the fact she was a jinchuuriki but she wasn't perfect. She murdered someone. Her temper was legendary and well being gentle was not something that she was known.

What if her living grandmother took one look at her and decided she was a monster? What if she didn't love her? Aizawa-sensei might like her but he was kind of weird. Kenji-sensei didn't acknowledge her immediately. What if her grandmother was the same? Naruto shook her head and looked down at her hands.

The idea of being rejected by her own biological grandmother made her heart ached.

_Don't think about it._ Naruto shook her head and blew a strand of her blond-hair before fixating her eyes on Setsuna. It would be a better idea for her to question her friend of what she believed how Explosive Head like her. Focusing on her friend's observation would be healthier for her. The negative thoughts and doubts wouldn't fester.

She couldn't let it fester again.

"What kind of love do you see Explosive Head have for me?"

Setsuna hummed and rubbed her chin as her eyes looked at her with a thoughtfulness that didn't seem to suit her. The girl was a lot of things but her friend wasn't well-known for being thoughtful or considerate. Brash yes but definitely not considerate. "The way I see it? He loves you like a sister. He genuinely wants you to be happy."

Naruto relaxed her shoulders. "So I'm not wrong to think that he doesn't like me in that way?"

"You know Blasty better than anyone," Setsuna commented with a sly smile. The green-haired girl pulled her tray back towards her and took a bite of her food. "Do you honestly believe Blasty is selfless enough to give up on the girl he is in love with and try to help set her up with her own crush? Because I can't picture him doing it. I imagine he will be a little bit like a caveman when it comes to his love interest."

Nejire and Itsuka giggled at those words while Naruto hummed and bobbed her head in agreement. The girl was absolutely right when it came to the explosive teen. He wouldn't be the type to let the girl he liked walked away from him. _He doesn't know when to give up._ That was something they did have in common.

The blonde exhaled. "But what do you mean he tried to set me up with Shouto?"

Setsuna hummed and offered her a sly smile while Itsuka avoided looking her in the eyes. _What the hell aren't they telling me?_ It wasn't like them to do this to her. Not once during the time that the three of them hang out, did both girls try anything on her and Shouto. Naruto curled her lips into a frown and looked at Nejire.

"I don't know anything about it, Naru-chan," Nejire informed her, holding her hands up in the air as her blue eyes focused on the two guilty girls. _Yeah, you would have told me eventually._ The whiskered teen pressed her lips into a thin line and kept her eyes locked onto the two girls. When did they try to set her up with Shouto? She would have remembered it.

The green-haired girl sighed. "Well you weren't there when Ashido was starting to think of how to make you realize you like Todoroki."

Nejire nodded and Naruto raised her shoulders. _If Ashido knows that I like Shouto then why the hell is she convinced that Bakugou likes me in that way?_ She wasn't fickle with her feelings. It was not like she was the type of girl who had a new crush everyday or even get crushes. It was what made her weird as Sakura pointed out to her.

_You should have a crush by now, Naruto! Every girl in our year had a crush on someone._

It was very hard to force herself to develop feelings for someone when they had no qualities that could make her develop feelings. Looks always faded in her mind or maybe it was because she never freaked over someone who was attractive.

"When did you guys and Ashido try to—"

"—The amusement park," Setsuna admitted. "Ashido wanted to see your love bloom and I just wanted you to stop being afraid of the idea of banging him."

Nejire and Itsuka choked at the girl's words while Naruto gawked at her friend. _Bang him?_ What the hell? Shouto was very much attractive and he did have an amazing body but her feelings weren't purely sexual. If that had been the case then she would have developed feelings of lust from the moment that they met.

Besides she would recognize lust, wouldn't she? It would be a desire where you didn't want to get to know a person. _I really want to get to know Shouto and I really like him._ The whiskered teen cleared her throat and locked eyes with her green-haired friend, who took another sip of her drink as Nejire and Itsuka continued to gawk at her.

"I don't like Shouto because he has a _nice_ body!" Naruto finally choked out.

Setsuna nodded. "Yeah I know you aren't that kind of girl or else you would be drooling over Explosive Head. Now that is a guy who has a pair of _nice_ arms."

"You know he will threaten to kill you if he hears you, right?" Naruto informed the girl as she glanced over her shoulder. The blond-haired boy seemed to be glaring at Kirishima and Kaminari. It was rather hard for her to tell what they were talking about, but the dropped shoulders of the other two boys told her that it was probably something ridiculous.

She shook her head and looked back at the grinning Setsuna.

"He is kind of cute when he gets embarrassed, don't you think?" Setsuna grinned. "He is a real Tsundere."

_It is official…I'm friends with an insane person._

* * *

**Author Note:** So Itsuka lent Naruto's clothes and everyone can go to the forest lodge. Bakugou is going to tell Naruto about the truth of their relationship while almost everyone in class 1A seem to think it is a confession. Setsuna reassures Naruto that she isn't wrong to think that Bakugou doesn't like her in that way.

Here are a couple of questions for you to think over until the next chapter:

**Question 1:** How do you think Class 1A will react once they find out the real relationship between Naruto and Bakugou?

**Question 2:** What do you think of the characterization of Setsuna throughout the series?

**Question 3:** Do you like the relationship between Bakugou and Naruto?

Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and for anyone who reads my KHR and Naruto's crossover, Riddles will be updated in the next few days.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter. For anyone who didn't read the changes in the last chapter, please do as it will explain the difference in Naruto in this chapter.

* * *

"You know it will be really weird if Bakugou and Uzumaki date."

Shouto tore his eyes away from Naruto and Bakugou and focused his attention on Ashido and Hagakure. The pink-skinned girl had her head tilted to the side while the invisible girl probably had her eyes locked on the two blondes. It was rather hard for the mismatched-haired boy to tell when the girl was well invisible.

"Yeah, they can pass off as siblings," Hagakure commented. It sounded like the girl had a frown on her face but Shouto couldn't be certain. _They should find a way to make it easy for an invisible person to show their expression._ He exhaled and darted his eyes to Uraraka, who darted her eyes from him to the two girls before focusing on the two teens.

A frown played on Uraraka's face and the brown-haired girl knitted her eyebrows together. After a couple of seconds, the brown-haired girl shook her head and said. "Their personalities are a little bit similar when you think about it."

Several of the boys raised their eyebrows at this observation while Shouto nodded. Even though the whiskered teen did not always shout like Bakugou, the girl could be a bulldozer just like the older boy. _But it didn't mean Naruto will want to date someone like Bakugou._ He wasn't like the blond-haired boy and yet she decided to be with him.

_She is with me._

That should be enough to reassure him but his eyebrows still twitched at the idea of people believing that Naruto would date Bakugou. It was completely irrational for him to feel like this. Maybe if this was before the two of them began their relationship then it would be okay for his stomach to twist with irritation.

He knew he should be confident in their relationship. The whiskered teen chose him, accepted his feelings towards her and returned those very same feelings to him. _But what if she decides that she likes someone like Bakugou?_ The girl might like him back but what about later? What if she realized that she wanted Bakugou? Or that she could do better than him?

_Why did you have to have inherit __**his**__ side?_

His brother's words echoed in his ears and the image of the fire erupting from his left side flashed through his eyes. His heart grew heavy and twisted in pain as images flashed through his eyes. The lack of joy in both his mother and brother's eyes alongside the tears in his mom's eyes. Someone yelling in happiness at his Quirk and that he finally had a child that was—

_The final one is now my greatest creation._

Shouto took in a deep breath and shoved the memory to the side.

"Are you really okay with Uzumaki walking out like that?" The mismatch-haired boy blinked as black eyes looked at him with surprise. Sero frowned and darted his eyes to the door, where Shouto expected that Naruto and Bakugou just walked out of, before looking back at him with raised eyebrows.

Shouto kept his expression completely blank as everyone in the classroom turned around to look at him. Midoriya and Iida stared at him with concern while their classmates glanced at each other as if they probably realized that he was still in the room. They probably did realize since he rarely talked in class.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" He asked. The irritation threatened to seep out of his voice but Shouto shoved it down, not allowing everyone to see that _yes, it did affect him_. Bright blue eyes flashed before his eyes alongside the warmth and happiness in them. It was so selfish of him but he wanted those eyes to be only seen by him.

Shouto knew he could be selfish at times because he always wanted to be by her side. That there was always a hunger inside of him to have her eyes directed at him. That she didn't look at anyone like that but him. Maybe it was jealously but he didn't know. He just knew he had this hunger when Amajiki looked at Naruto.

_But it isn't Amajiki or Bakugou that worries me but Sasuke._ Shouto inhaled and exhaled as his stomach twisted with an unexplained emotion. There was nothing to fear when it came to his girlfriend's relationship with those two but Sasuke was…another story. They were best friends or so Naruto explained but _he hurt her._

_Sasuke nearly killed Naruto and she made excuses for him like his Mom did for Endeavor._

"Well everyone knows you like her," Sero commented. Shouto blinked and jerked his head up as everyone in the class bobbed their heads in agreement with the black-haired teen. "But you haven't made your move on her."

_I'm with Naruto._ They were together and in a relationship with each other but if he spilled those words then it felt like he didn't see Naruto as a person but someone he wanted to claim. Shouto frowned and looked down at his hands. The whiskered teen deserved better than that. She didn't need him to announce their relationship because he wanted to defend himself.

His classmates continued to gaze at him as if they expected him to say something, but what could he say? That he was aware of the difference between him and Bakugou? That the boy was definitely more aggressive than him. It was something he had been aware of from the moment the blond-haired boy entered the room. That aggressiveness reminded him of Endeavour.

_Shouto is starting to look more like Endeavour._

He already looked similar to the bastard but no way in hell would he emulate the man. That man destroyed everything he touched, ruined the life of his mother and Shouto wanted to be nothing like him. _Especially to Naruto._

"You know Bakugou might be better suited for Uzumaki," Ashido commented. Shouto jerked his head at the girl, pressed his lips into a thin line and balled his hands into a fist as the pink-skinned girl locked onto the two teens. "Bakugou is so loud while Uzumaki is just a little bit more mellow than him. Y'know they can learn something from each other."

Uraraka nodded and darted her eyes at him. "You are rather passive when it comes to Uzumaki-chan."

Shouto kept quiet and looked down at his feet. It would be hard for him to deny those words but grand gestures brought a bitter taste to his tongue. Should he show his affections in public? But Naruto didn't mind the fact that he kept it private. She was always so understanding when it came to him, never ever getting irritated with him.

_But what if she decides to leave me because I can't ever openly show I like her?_ His heart dropped at the thought and Shouto exhaled as Midoriya frowned at Uraraka. He liked hugging and being able to touch Naruto but those public display of affections also brought a sense of fear to him. What if he became too greedy and she didn't like it?

The heterochromia boy closed his eyes and twisted his lips together into a small frown. _Should I show that aggressive side?_ The idea made his stomach churned with fear as sweat began to form around his body. He could try but it would make him like his father. No, it wouldn't make him like Endeavour but…what if it wasn't enough?

_Why can't you do something as simple as this! Touya could do this!_

The harsh words of Endeavour boomed in his ear, reminding him again and again that he had never been his father's first choice. Even now he could feel the lingering sting of his father's slap when he cried and told him that it was difficult. _I wasn't even his first option, I am only the replacement._ He was fine with that.

But what if Naruto chose him as a replacement? What if she chose to replace him?

"We should actually see what is happening," Midoriya commented. Shouto blinked and twisted his head around to look at the green-haired boy who had his eyes fixated on the two teens. A frown played on his lips and those green eyes darted at him. "I don't believe for a moment that Kacchan is confessing his feelings towards Uzumaki."

Ashido frowned. "But he wants to talk to her after school and in private…sounds like a confession to me."

"But Kacchan wouldn't wait that long to confess to someone," Midoriya pointed out. The green-haired boy fiddled with his hands as everyone looked at him with curiosity. "We had three years of Middle School and he never showed that kind of interest to Uzumaki."

If anyone knew the blond-haired boy well then it would be Midoriya. If he suspected that Bakuogu wasn't going to confess then Shouto believed him. The fact that the one who knew the explosive teen best did not believe it made him relaxed his shoulders. Other then Naruto and Kirishima, the green-haired boy had the best understanding of the boy.

"Well I agree with Ashido," Mineta declared. The purple-haired boy scurried up on the table and his black beady eyes focused on the fading backs of Naruto and Bakugou. "Bakugou has to be confessing to Uzumaki or why else would he get so angry whenever I try to get close to Uzumaki? Only someone who has a crush on her would react like this!"

Shouto clenched his jaws together but it was Sero who put him in his place.

"Everyone gets angry whenever you try to perv on the girls," Sero commented with a frown playing on his lips. "It is just that Bakugou and Todoroki are quicker to react."

The short boy scowled. "Well I still think that he wants to get in her pants and I'm going to prove it."

_Now I definitely have to see what is going on._ Shouto thinned his lips as the purple-haired boy went on a rant about how Bakugou wasn't blind about the beauty of Naruto's body. His hand itched to whack him or better yet freeze him in his place but Asui did the honor for him by whacking him with her tongue.

Mineta winced and Shouto believed that he deserved more than a whack in the head.

"You guys do realize that if Bakugou wants privacy when he talks to Uzumaki that there is a reason right?" Yaoyorozu commented. Her black eyes looked at everyone with disapproval as she slipped her own bag over her shoulders. Black eyes lingered on him the most before moving onto the others. "We should respect their privacy."

Despite those reasonable words, Shouto could see a guilty look on Yaoyorozu's face. _She knows something that she shouldn't know about._ Did the girl know what they were going to talk about? He should ask but the girl was right. There was a reason and he should respesct boundaries. If he started with invading her privacy then how was he any better than Endeavor?

But there was a desire for him to know that Naruto wouldn't leave him if someone less broken came her way.

"So you aren't going to hear what Bakugou has to say to Uzumaki?" Ashido asked.

Yaoyorozu shook her head.

"I have plans with someone else."

* * *

"So why did you call me out here, Bakugou?"

Naruto shifted the weight from her right foot to her left as her eyes darted onto the branches above them. Even though Hibiki was not visible, she could sense the warmth from his chakra. A couple of meters away was Gaara but he wasn't here to see her. Her friend was going to meet with Yaoyorozu, who was probably hurrying to meet him.

The girl was well-known for being punctual and for being the type to worry over the silliest thing. _I think she did an amazing job with her gift._ When Yaoyorozu showed it to her in the morning, Naruto actually whistled at the work that the girl had done. If she did not know her classmate was the type to do things to the extreme then she would believe the girl had a crush.

She knew he was going to be touched by the gift.

"We have something in common, Whiskers."

Naruto blinked and knitted her eyebrows as red eyes couldn't meet her own blue eyes. People around them seemed to slow down, only to scuttle away when Bakugou glared at them. She should scold him but the fact that he blurted those words out to her made her stomach churned with worry.

It was not like her fellow blonde to be nervous, and the fact he blurted those words out loud alongside the fact that he couldn't meet her eyes told her that he didn't know what to tell her.

Maybe she should give him a prompt or maybe just point out the obvious to him.

"Yeah," Naruto said slowly as her eyes focused on Bakugou. Dimly, the whiskered teen could hear someone shuffling behind the bushes but she couldn't bring herself to call them out. Not when the blonde looked like he was shaking in his knees. "We went to the same Middle School, Bakugou."

Bakugou stopped shaking at her words and a growl erupted from his throat. Whatever nerves in his eyes faded, replaced with irritation and the whiskered teen was both grateful and irritated. A nervous red-eyed boy was not someone that she could deal with. However, her vein throbbed with anger at the way the blonde looked at her.

He looked at her like she was an idiot.

_I'm not a fucking idiot._ Her jaws clenched together as a pair of smug green eyes flashed before her. Just because she didn't go around boasting her brains and got slightly lower grades than him, did not make her an idiot. The whiskered teen inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down the rage that threatened to explode again.

"You know that isn't the shit I'm trying to get at, Whiskers!" Bakugou growled. Naruto blinked and forced herself to relax her shoulders as those red eyes locked onto her own eyes. "You might look like an idiot but we both know that you are anything but an idiot!"

Naruto forced herself to exhale and slapped on a fake smile. "Well you know I'm also not a fucking mind reader either!"

Her fellow blonde stopped growling and only stared at her for the longest time like he just realized how true her words were. _I don't have a Kekkei Genkei like he does._ Naruto ran her hand through her hair and poked her tongue against her cheeks as her blue eyes inspected the boy in front of her. He kept running his hand through his hair, almost looking like a crazed man.

It was like he was trying to search the words to tell her something and Naruto felt her stomach churned with a worry.

_Bakugou is going to confess his love to Uzumaki._

Excited yellow eyes flashed before her eyes and the whiskered teen felt her insides twisted at those words. Ashido could be wrong for all she know. Setsuna did not believe for one moment that Explosive Head liked her in that way. She should believe that but why would Bakugou look nervous if that wasn't true? Bile rose up to her throat at the slightest idea that maybe Ashido might be right.

"Look I have tried the whole fucking day to think of how to break the news to you," Bakugou growled. Naruto felt her whole shoulders relaxed at those words because news did not mean a confession. "But that gentle shit? That ain't me so I'm going to fucking tell you this news like a man."

Naruto blinked and felt her lips twitched at those words. It definitely did not sound like he was trying to confess but more like he was trying to psych himself to spill the news that he wanted to tell her. _But what does he want to tell me?_ She darted her eyes up to the tree and frowned when Hibiki lowered his head to meet her own eyes.

_I'm not going to be the one to tell you what he is trying to tell you._

That was what those brown eyes told her.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell you want to tell me?" Naruto asked, clearing her throat as Hibiki moved his whole body back to the shadows of the tree.

Her fellow blonde jerked his head up at her and stared at her for the longest time. No emotion flowed out of his eyes as he regarded her with a quietness that always unnerved her. The slightest tug on his lower mouth and that little twitch on his eyebrow told her that he was definitely not comfortable with what he had to tell her.

_It must be some news for him to be even nervous._ Naruto pushed her lower lip forward as her eyes locked on the red eyes of her friend. The boy had always been so damn confident about everything. Getting into Yuuei? He had been certain. Winning the Sports Festival? The same damn thing except she knocked him down a peg.

"Whiskers, you and me?" Bakugou pointed at himself and then to her, "We have the same grandmother."

Naruto blinked and blinked as his words boomed in her ears. She knew he hadn't raised his voice but it felt like those words were a bomb for her. A part of her wanted to whip him for implying they were related to each other but the whiskered teen swallowed down the words that threatened to come out.

Instead a hazy memory flashed before her eyes of faded brown eyes and bloodied lips. Her heart twisted in pain. No, it screamed with so much horror and pain as a translucent figure watched her. Someone telling her that—

"_Naru-chan, Granny will be upset if Naru-chan follows her.__"_

Why did her heart scream in pain at the sight of this old woman? Naruto felt her legs trembled and closed her eyes as the memory threatened to come out again. This was not the time for her to remember that memory. Later because that memory implied she had a grandmother before. That there had been someone who wanted to protect her.

She swallowed down the lump and allowed Bakugou to hover over her. His red eyes flashed with worry and the whiskered teen forced herself to exhale. _Think of something else._ Maybe she should tell him that he was lying or something. A part of her did want to accuse him of taking advantage of her desire to have a family.

But Bakugou was a lot of things but he wasn't the type to lie about these things, not when he was more sensitive about these kind of things then he was willing to admit or show.

"When did you find out?"

The blond-haired boy stared at her like he was trying to figure out about her feelings towards his news. _I don't know how I feel._ Denial was definitely one thing but happiness? There was a tickle of warmth inside of her stomach and her heart did flutter at the knowledge that he was her family. She pressed her lips into a frown.

Even though she was happy, was Bakugou? He didn't look at all pleased with the information. _He just looks uncomfortable._ Maybe she should reassure him that he didn't have to force himself to have a relationship with her. They could go back to the way things were between them or well they could try to do it.

It wouldn't be the first time.

"My Mom and me found out on the same day you run out on your Shitty Guardian when he told you about my Shitty Uncle," Bakugou commented. His red eyes inspected her and he grunted. "The Old Crone got fucking furious when she learnt how your Crappy Guardian break the news to you. The Old Hag and the Old Crone wants to meet you but…it is your decision, Whiskers."

_I have an Aunt and a Grandmother and it sounds like they want to know me._

The whole world around her became muffled as she fixated her eyes on Bakugou. The birds chirped sounded so stifled against her ears and the colors seemed faded. _You never had a family._ Cruel black eyes flashed before her as her throat burned. This was her chance to get that family that accepted her immediately but maybe she was wrong.

For all she knew, the meeting could end up with a rejection…

"Why must Uzumaki be related to someone so terrifying!"

Naruto jerked her head and swirled her head around to look at the bushes. _Has everyone been listening in?_ Mineta and the other members of their class just gawked at them but it was not their reactions that mattered to her. Shouto stood right in the middle, looking so relieved and happy at the knowledge that Bakugou was her family member.

The whiskered teen could figure out why.

_He was worried that Bakugou was going to confess to me._

It seemed like they were going to have a talk about this because she couldn't understand why he would think that she would have accepted him if it had been the case.

* * *

"Naruto told me that you have a thank-you gift for me."

Momo nodded and rubbed the back of her neck as she felt the blood inside of her rushed to her cheeks. The black-haired girl didn't know much about the boy but she didn't know he was very blunt. _But I guess the place where he comes from, don't know how to be subtle._ Then again Uzumaki was very blunt too when she wanted to be.

But if what she overheard between Uzumaki and Bakugou was true then it was rather surprising when she thought about it. _I never expected that she was a kunoichi._ It had been so wrong for her to overhear the conversation between them but Uzumaki had been nervous and Bakugou had been irritated.

She felt like it had been her duty to make sure that he didn't do anything reckless towards the girl but she learnt way more than she should have. _I want to confront her about it but it felt wrong._ Her classmates were going to be shock but it was still Uzumaki. The same girl, who tried to make her confident after Mineta tried to grope on her.

The black-haired girl shook her head and looked down at the bag in her hand. _Will he like the gift? Or will he think that it is so childish?_ If he had a similar occupation like Uzumaki then Gaara was forced to grow up too soon. Maybe she should have given something else to him but her classmate seemed to love the gift.

Momo trusted Uzumaki and her taste in what would cheer up the boy.

"It might seem childish," she warned him as she handed him the bag. The red-haired boy knitted his non-existent eyebrows together and pulled out the brown teddy bear with teal beads from the gift bag. No words came out of his mouth and the black-haired girl rubbed the back of her neck. "But I didn't know what to make that could cheer you up or help you with your stress."

Teddy bears used to cheer her up as a child especially whenever her parents argued over the littlest thing. They offered her comfort and warmth but maybe it was just her who would think like that. She probably should have made something else because he was so quiet.

"You made it instead of using your Quirk, didn't you?" Gaara finally asked with a tone of wonder and surprises. His teal eyes darted to the little band-aids decorating her fingers and the black-haired girl flushed a light shade of pink as her heart twisted at his tone. It shouldn't be a big deal but the way he looked at the Teddy Bear told her so much.

Maybe he had a similar childhood to Uzumaki because she sounded like she had been in a lot of pain when she told Bakugou about the whole Jinchuuriki think of.

"Well it isn't that good," she finally answered as the memories of her own mother's disappointment flashed through her eyes. _You can make it better, Momo-chan._ The black-haired girl inhaled and the boy continued to inspect the teddy bear. "I mean this is my first time to make it from hand so I will make—"

"—I like it."

Momo stopped her babble and stared at the red-haired boy, who looked at the plush toy with wonder. A small smile played on his lips and his teal eyes looked completely sincerity. _But it isn't perfect._ The little ear on the left could be better but Gaara didn't seem to mind. He just held it close and bobbed his head.

It was odd how that the boy could make her heart race slightly by giving her that look or how those eyes looked happy at her actions. _I should tell him why I thought of the Teddy Bear._ She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the bear as her memories of her own childhood went through her mind.

She always had a caretaker but her teddy bears offered her more warmth then they ever did.

"I used to hug my teddy bear whenever I feel stress or sad," Momo admitted to him. Gaara blinked and stared at her like he could understand why she would go for a bear for comfort instead of her own mother and father. It was not that they haven't been there for her but work had always been a priority for them.

Momo accepted it and loved them but the black-haired girl wished her mother did not demand for perfection from her.

"They offer a lot of warmth," Gaara replied.

_But did you have a lot of warmth? Is being a shinobi so difficult?_ She wanted to ask those questions to him but it would mean admitting that she overheard Uzumaki and Bakugou. Neither of them would forgive her for invading their privacy even if she admitted that she had been concern of what was happening between them.

The red-haired boy frowned and regarded her carefully as if he was trying to figure out her emotions. He bobbed his head like he finally figured something out. "Something is troubling you again, Yaoyorozu."

_Should I admit that I overheard Uzumaki? Would he tell her?_ She didn't want Uzumaki to be upset with her, not when the girl was now starting to get close to them. There had been a lot of time when Momo wanted to tell her that she didn't find it fair for her to be treated that way because she had a beast inside of her.

It was like a Quirk when Momo thought about it and it was wrong to discriminate people because of their Quirks.

"I overheard something that I shouldn't have," Momo admitted. Gaara nodded and tucked the teddy bear underneath his armpit before looking back at her. No real emotions shone through his teal eyes but the black-haired girl guessed that the lack of emotions meant that he wasn't judging her for what she had done. "And I have been struggling on whether or not to admit to Uzumaki."

The red-haired boy hummed. "You should tell her."

"What if she becomes upset with me?" Momo asked. The whiskered teen might think the worse of her for doing something like this and the black-haired girl did enjoy the blonde's company. While she might not be like Jirou and the other girls, there was something refreshing about the whiskered teen.

It was not just how crude her words could be or how amazing her skills were but maybe how Uzumaki didn't think of her as being a spoiled girl. Jirou and the other girls never say it but she knew that they did get frustrated whenever she mentioned about some expensive items. She tried to control herself but it came out and she always felt bad for herself.

Uzumaki just moved on and changed the topic like she had been through it before.

"Naruto will get upset but if you show her your sincerity then she will forgive you," he replied with a nod as the two of them walked towards the road that would lead to her driver. "Whatever you did is nothing to what I did to her and…she forgave me."

_What did you do?_ The question was on the tip of her tongue but the guilty tone in his voice told her that he wouldn't talk to her about it. Momo inhaled and rubbed the back of her neck. The two of them weren't close enough for her to question him about his past but maybe there was something that she could say to him.

"I don't know what happened but we all have done something that we regret."

Maybe one day, Gaara would tell her of what he felt guilty and Momo would wait for that day because she hoped to be his friend.

* * *

**A/N:** Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Why the hell were all you fuckers listening in on our conversation?"_

Naruto kept her eyes focused on her classmates as Bakugou screamed out the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Her cousin glared and growled at the members of their class, who glared at the weeping Mineta before flinching at Bakugou's glare. It was hard not to blame them. The glare radiating out of the blond-haired boy could probably kill someone.

She pressed her lips into a very thin line and folded her arms against her chest as her eyes locked onto her classmates. Most of them couldn't meet her eyes as if they knew just how wrong it had been for them to listen in on their conversation. Their expressions didn't really matter to her. The one she cared most about was Shouto.

Her boyfriend kept darting his eyes at her before looking away from her, never once fully meeting her eyes. That alone spoke volumes to her of how guilty he felt for listening on the conversation between Bakugou and her.

"W-Well we thought you were going to confess your undying love to Uzumaki," Ashido rubbed the back of her neck and flashed an apologetic smile at them.

Naruto clenched her jaws together and locked eyes with her pink-haired classmate. _Control your temper._ She inhaled and exhaled as her fingers dug into the palm of her hand. They meant well. They knew what they did was wrong. All of their eyes looked at the two of them with an apologetic look.

Yet no matter how many times she reminded herself this, the vein on her forehead still throbbed with irritation.

"And you thought that you want to see him get humiliated?" She controlled the irritation from leaking out of her tone as her eyes focused on everyone standing right in front of her. Every single one of them blinked at her words as if they never once considered what could have happened if the scenario had been true.

Hurt green eyes flashed before her own eyes and Naruto clenched her jaws together. It was painful for a person to get rejected from her own observation between her teammates. It was embarrassing when a person get rejected in public. The whiskered teen forced herself to exhale before looking away from them.

"Would you have seriously turned down Bakugou if it had been true?" The blonde twisted her head around to look at Kaminari. Her fellow blonde gawked at her like he couldn't believe she would do it and Naruto nodded. She stole a glance at her cousin, who kept flickering his eyes between her and Shouto. Kaminari knitted his eyebrows. "Why?"

_It is obvious, isn't it?_ Naruto chewed the inner corner of her cheek and focused her attention on her boyfriend. No emotion erupted from his eyes and there was not an _obvious_ body movement that could hint of his current emotional state. But his shoulders trembled as if he had been fearful for a moment that she would actually choose Bakugou.

The fact he feared she would actually do it, made her heart twist in pain. _I can understand why._ A lump formed inside of her throat as her eyes locked onto the boy. Even though the two of them were together, it was normal for someone to have their doubts. Well that was what Naruto believed anyway.

This whole dating thing was kind of new to her.

"Because I like someone else," Naruto curled her lips into a smile as Shouto looked at her. "And I won't be cruel to someone and accept their feelings when my feelings for that person hasn't changed one bit."

Kaminari slumped his shoulders as Ashido nodded her head like she understood what she meant. Perhaps she understood that the feelings she felt towards Shouto weren't that fickle or based on physical appearance. Naruto frowned. Ashido probably did not understand or else she wouldn't have been so confident that she would accept Bakugou.

A quiet silence hung between them as Naruto looked up at the floating clouds. Some of the clouds looked like animals while one of the clouds reminded her of Shikamaru with its pineapple shape. A sigh escaped her lips and the blonde returned her attention back to the gathered classmates. All of them had their heads tilted to their side as if they were deeply considering something.

Had her words been weird? Or was it wrong for her to believe that it would be cruel to accept someone's feelings when you don't feel the same way?

"So…is anyone else curious to know how Bakugou and Uzumaki didn't know that they were cousins until now?" Kirishima asked as his red eyes darted from her to Bakugou. Whatever gloomy atmosphere hanging over her classmates faded at that question. Every single one of them bobbed their heads in agreement.

Bakugou and Naruto exchanged glances and the whiskered teen nodded, fully understanding of what the boy wanted her to do.

"My father went with my grandfather to his hometown," Naruto kept her eyes focused on them. If she looked away from them then it was obvious that she was lying. If they figured out she lied then there would be more questions. "He didn't exactly tell our grandmother, so she didn't find out about me until Ero-Sennin found her."

_It isn't a complete lie._ Naruto rubbed the back of her neck as her eyes darted to the various members of Class A. Most of them nodded their heads but the one expression that interested her the most was Midoriya.

Those green eyes flashed with understanding as if he could figure out the reason why her father decided to leave his loving family to go to Konoha. _Maybe he does understand._ She curled her lips into a bitter smile. Until the entrance exam, Midoriya had been considered Quirkless. He probably could understand why her father chose to leave his mother and half-sister.

She probably could never _fully_ understand what her father went through.

"But why didn't your father tell her about you?" Uraraka frowned and knitted her eyebrows together as her eyes flickered between her and Bakugou. "You don't just keep a child birth a secret from your family."

Naruto shrugged and forced herself to smile. "My father was a very complicated man."

Bakugou eyed her like he didn't fully believe her words and the whiskered teen shrugged her shoulders. It was wrong of her to call her father a very complicated man but how else could she describe him? How could she explain the whole thing? There were a lot of things she didn't know about her father.

For her to understand his reasoning, would mean either for her to go back in time or for her to make contact with ghosts.

_I will be too terrified to find someone who can contact ghosts._ She shivered and plastered on a smile as her classmates offered their apologies to them before shouting out their goodbyes to her. Ghosts weren't real. If they were real then they would haunt her every single night, never allowing her to have a moment of sleep.

It was not long before the only people standing right in front of the tree were her, Bakugou and Shouto. The mismatch-haired boy stole a glance at her before looking back at Bakugou. Her newly found cousin grunted and kicked a pebble before throwing a glare at the fading backs of their classmate.

"I can't believe that those shitheads thought I would like you in that way," Bakugou shoved his hand into his pockets and kicked another pebble. The pebble flew and smacked the back of one of the students, who turned around to look at them. The older male squeaked at the sight of the glare radiating from Bakugou.

"Ashido likes a dramatic love story," Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line and relaxed her shoulders before making her way to take her spot beside Shouto. He did not look at her and the whiskered teen sighed. "I didn't understand why she thought you liked me in that way until Setsuna pointed out that you treated me differently from all the other girls."

Bakugou scowled. "Well Lizard ain't stupid."

A little laugh escaped from Naruto's lips as the whiskered teen stared at the blond-haired boy. The tiny scowl played on his lips told her that maybe he found the whole thing ridiculous. It was silly when she thought about it. Not once did the boy ever indicate he liked her in that kind of way. She shook her head and regarded the scowling boy.

Should they just continue discussing things?

The whiskered teen shook her head and decided to focus back on the topic at hand. "Well she seems to be the only one from the girls, who seems to know what your feelings towards me were."

The blond-haired boy blinked and blinked before shaking his head like a dog trying to dry himself. It looked like he was denying her words but Naruto couldn't be certain. It was rather difficult for her to figure out what was going through his head or the kind of relationship that her two friends had with each other.

She raised a single eyebrow when Bakugou twisted his head around to look at Shouto. A glare erupted from his red eyes and the clenched jaws told her of his irritation but she didn't know why he was so irritated. Her boyfriend had done nothing to him or say anything to accuse him of having feelings for her.

"You are a fucking idiot if you think I fucking like Whiskers in that way, IcyHot," Bakugou finally growled.

Shouto flinched but did not say anything to either contradict or defend himself from the accusation. He only darted his eyes at her, not looking her in the eye and Naruto understood why. He probably felt guilty if you asked her or maybe her boyfriend truly agreed with what Bakugou had just called him.

Naruto clenched her jaws together and narrowed her eyes at Bakugou. "Don't call him an idiot!"

_He is anything but an idiot._ The blonde inhaled and exhaled, forcing herself to stop the trembles that threatened to come out, as her eyes locked onto her boyfriend. He looked even like he accepted the words of her relative as if he truly believed that he was an idiot for thinking that Bakugou would have that kind of feeling for her.

Her cousin only rolled his eyes at her, not looking one bit irritated at the fact that she defended Shouto, before putting his hands over his head. Clicking his heels together, Bakugou began to walk away from them. Not once did he turn to look at Naruto or the mismatch-haired boy as he dragged his feet away from them.

It was only when he was ten meters away, did the older boy turned around to look at her.

"I'm telling the Old Crone and the Old Hag that I did my job," Bakugou eyed her before darting his eyes to Shouto. "If you want to meet our grandmother then just tell me—"

"—I want to meet her."

She was curious to meet the grandmother who gave birth to her father.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about why were you worried about me accepting Bakugou's feelings?"

Naruto slid her hands into her skirt and darted her eyes at Shouto. The two of them had been walking towards Kenji's house in complete silence, always stealing glances at each other but never talking about the elephant in the room. It took her a while but only now did the blonde gathered the courage to vocalize her curiosity.

The mismatch boy stopped in his steps and locked eyes with her. A small frown played on his lips and the younger boy knitted his eyebrows together into a single line. It was an adorable sight and made her want to smile but the fact that he had that kind of expression made her stomach churned with worry.

"I'm not loud or aggressive like Bakugou."

She frowned at the observation and tilted her head to the side. "I know that but what does that have to do with me accepting his non-existent romantic feelings for me?"

Shouto twisted his lips into a little grimace and kept darting his eyes away from her, locking eyes with the pedestrians who passed them. A few of them stole glances at them, occasionally they would slow down to take a picture or two before scurrying from the two teens. Letting out a little sigh, the youngest son of Endeavour looked back at Naruto.

"What if you want someone like Bakugou?" Shouto ran his hand through his hair and the blankness in his heterochromia eyes were replaced with anxiety. "I'm not someone who can loudly declare my feelings or show my affections to the whole world."

Naruto stared at him for the longest time, trying to wrap her head around what the boy's concerns were, before grabbing his right hand. Taking a deep breath, she began to drag the younger boy towards the small alleyway. There was no way either of them could have a discussion when there was the occasional pedestrian taking photos of them.

The alleyway that Naruto chose to pull her boyfriend into was a narrow one, where the distance between the two buildings was enough for only two people to walk through. It was like a cage but the blonde knew they needed to feel a little bit trapped. Neither of them would feel comfortable talking about such a serious topic that could be easily overheard by people.

"Shouto, do you believe that you aren't good enough?" Naruto kept her tone calm even though a part of her wanted to allow her tone to waver only slightly. She steeled herself and inhaled to control the tremors running throughout her body as her blue eyes focused on her boyfriend. It was impossible for him to think like that.

He was more than good enough, too good for her if you asked the whiskered teen.

Shouto did not say anything, only knitting his eyebrows together like he was trying to figure out the answer to the question. His mismatch eyes locked onto Naruto, moving from her bright sunkissed hair down to her blue eyes before darting to the crowded street behind the girl. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his shoulders. "I have doubts too."

That was probably the closest she would ever get a confession from him.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked at the mismatch boy. He looked down at his feet, almost like he was ashamed for not being that confident in their relationship, and the whiskered teen paused. Why wouldn't he have doubts? There were a lot of things she wasn't certain about their relationship too. It was not like she had ever done it before.

Shouto stared at her with uncertainty and Naruto decided to wrap her arms around him. "I have the same concern too."

"Why?" Her boyfriend questioned, knitting his eyebrows together. He looked like he couldn't believe she would be uncertain about their relationship and Naruto only hugged him tighter. She inhaled in his scent as her mind raced to explain about the cause of her doubts to their own relationship towards him.

The whiskered teen exhaled and looked up at those mismatch eyes that Naruto came to love. "Well I wasn't the kind of girl that the boys back in Konoha would like. As Shikamaru and Kiba would say, I'm too loud and too much of a tomboy to get any boy to notice me."

Perhaps it was because of the orphanage or maybe because she lived in the streets for a whole year but the whiskered teen could never find it in herself to be gentle. There was no such thing as kindness in the streets but Naruto found it easy to be gentle with Shouto. It was perhaps why her hand began to trace his jaw as her other hand patted his back.

Shouto knitted his eyebrows together and looked at her like he didn't understand how her behavior mattered to them. There was a thought in Konoha that little girls should be feminine. They should like flower arrangements, seduction and learn the art of poison. Girls should be polite and never try to be stronger than a male. That was the belief held by the civilians and most shinobi. Naruto never adhered to those standards.

She just wanted to be greater that those expectations.

"Why does it matter if you act like a boy?" Shouto darted his eyes to the main road before looking back at her. His mismatch eyes flashed with an innocent curiosity like he couldn't fully comprehend why boys would care about such things. "Why would you think I will leave you for something like that?"

Naruto inhaled. "Well I was always told that boys only like girls who actually act like a girl and I worry that maybe that it is true. I mean I'm not exactly the image of gentleness or subtleness…I worry that you will leave me because I can't be that kind of girl."

Mikoto-obaachan had been gentle and she tried to be like the mother-figure that she lost, but Naruto could never fully emulate her. Hinata adored the fact she had been blunt and Sasuke never seemed to care but the whiskered teen wanted so badly to be accepted by her classmates. But her temper was too great for her to stifle.

"_You don't have to be something that you are not, Naru-chan."_ That was what Mikoto had say when Naruto admitted that she tried to be like her. Even now the whiskered teen recalled the absolute acceptance in those black eyes as she sobbed over the fact that she couldn't do the whole gentle, demure lady-thing. Only Mikoto-obaachan and Hinata-chan accepted her for who she was.

Everyone else tried to change her into an image that she couldn't be.

"It doesn't matter to me," Shouto informed her as his mismatch eyes locked onto her. Only sincerity shone through his eyes and the whiskered teen felt her stomach flutter at his words. "I like that side of you."

She smiled and pressed her lips against him. It felt like time slowed down as Naruto poured all the gratitude and so many other emotions inside the kiss. Even though it was not their first or second kiss, the little flutter of joy in her stomach never seemed to fade away. A part of her wondered if there would be a day where her chest wouldn't tightened or where she didn't think it was a figment of her imagination.

If it was not for the fact that they were in the streets then Naruto would have continued kissing him, but the whiskered teen tore her lips away from him.

A little sheepish smile played on Naruto's lips as Shouto looked down at her with dazed eyes. There was a dark look in his eyes like he wanted to gobble her up and never let her go. It should terrify her but the girl only shivered in excitement. Was this pure joy? Or was it another emotion? Well Naruto only knew that she didn't dislike the feeling coming from inside of her.

Her eyes fixated on her boyfriend and she recalled the confession of how he had doubts about their own relationship. Naruto knew that he didn't really answer her question but the blonde also knew it had been an indirect admission of his own feelings. They made quite a pair when the whiskered teen thought about it.

Naruto curled her lips into a frown and the blonde inhaled. "Do you want to tell me why you think you aren't good enough?"

Shouto paused and looked at her with careful consideration as if he was not certain of whether to tell her the reason. Warm hands rubbed her back as the younger boy continued to regard her. It was a curiosity for her to understand what went through his mind. Was it something she had done to give him this idea? Or was it another thing? She could never know.

"Endeavor was always comparing me to Touya," he explained with a tiny frown playing on his lips. "I didn't want his acknowledgment but it always felt like nothing I ever did was good enough for him."

The whiskered teen nodded and poked her tongue against her cheek. What should she say exactly? These kind of topics had to be handled lightly or so Naruto believed. Telling him that he shouldn't want his acknowledgment or telling him that he was good enough didn't fully acknowledged the pain he was in.

Empathy wasn't her strong suit but Naruto was willing to try with Shouto.

"It made you feel like you were always a replacement, didn't it?" Naruto asked, knitting her eyebrows together. She did not know if that was the right thing to say nor did she know what was going through Shouto's mind as he looked down at her with blank eyes. That had been the best thing for her to say to him.

She wondered if that was acknowledging his pain or if there was another thing for her to say.

The younger boy finally nodded. "Natsu-niisan believes that I'm Endeavour's favorite but Touya was always the favourite child. If his Quirk didn't burn up his skin then Endeavour would never even notice me."

It was the matter-of-fact tone that made her stomach twist in pain as Shouto kept his expression blank. Naruto might not be able to see his emotions in his eyes but the waves of hurt crashed over her. It overwhelmed her to the point that it felt like she was drowning in the sea but the girl accepted the waves.

For the first time in her life, Naruto accepted the wave of emotions and without a second thought the blonde hugged him. The whiskered teen knew that there was only so much she could for Shouto but showing her support and care for him seemed to be the best way to help him. The feeling of never being actually seen by people was one that she could understand.

Neither Naruto nor Shouto noticed a pair of black eyes watching them with a calculated glint or that a photo had been taken.

* * *

"Whiskers will meet you and Old Hag tomorrow after her dentist appointment, Old Crone!"

Bakugou only stole a glance at his grandmother before throwing his bag to the corner of the living room. The bag landed with a loud thud and the blond-haired boy took a seat on the couch, kicking his feet onto the table. His parents shot a look of disapproval but he didn't really care about the whole manners thing. This was his home and he was going to relax.

Narumi made no comment, only nodding her head as she took a sip of her tea. It always infuriated the blond-haired boy on how his grandmother could always keep her composure and looked so poised like one of his mother's models. He knew the old woman was pleased from the way a little hum escaped from her lips.

His mother did not even bother to keep her composure, beaming at the knowledge that Whiskers was willing to meet her, while his father knitted his eyebrows together like he always did whenever he was concern. The old man probably realized like he did that his mother had a high expectation for tomorrow meeting with Whiskers.

"You seem furious, Katsuki," The Old Crone put down her cup of tea and regarded him with knowing eyes. "You didn't do as well as you hope in your exams, did you?"

Bakugou twisted his lips into a scowl at the reminder of his scores. Today had been a bad day for him. Not only did those shitheads listened in on his conversation with Whiskers and jumped to conclusion about his feelings towards the girl, he also did not get the top spot in their year. That bouncy girl that his cousin sometimes hanged out beat him out of that spot again.

Not once since he entered Yuuei High, did he ever get the top spot in anything. Whiskers bested him in the Sports Festival but the knowledge she was a fully trained soldier did not ease his anger. If anything it made his stomach twist with absolute anger. She had been younger than him when she began training to become a shinobi.

How the hell do you catch up with someone with experience?

"It is none of your fucking business, Old Crone!"

Mitsuki narrowed her eyes at him, not looking one bit pleased by his screams, but Narumi did not flinch at his yells. She only tutted and looked at him like he was still a child. "You know no one thinks less of you for not getting the number one spot, Katsuki. Yuuei is a whole different ball game from the middle school."

The explosive teen grunted and dug his hand deeper into the pockets of his pants. He knew it was a whole different ball game from Middle School. The Quirks his classmates had in Middle School had been nothing special. Not one of them had been smart enough to get into Yuuei except for Whiskers and Deku.

Then again, he wouldn't acknowledge either of them if he ever thought for one moment that they were stupid.

His mother looked at his grandmother like she did not believe that he would be frustrated over something like this. The Old Crone studied psychology and always liked to analyze the shit out of people but his mother must have forgotten that little detail. Mitsuki only pressed her lips into a thin line and darted her eyes at him.

Bakugou ignored the silent question coming out from his mother's eyes and focused on his calm grandmother.

"Didn't you always say that my Shitty Uncle got first in everything?" He retorted, daring the old woman to contradict his words. The scowl on his face deepened as he recalled the conversation that their whole family had. "And now I found out that the Shitty Uncle graduated at the age of 9! Whiskers was fucking 12! How the fuck can I ever compare?"

His grandmother pressed her lips into a thin line and her eyebrows twitched while his parents exchanged glances. No words were spoken between the family members as they recalled the fact that two members of their family were child soldiers. It was stupid but Bakugou couldn't help but think of the huge gap between them.

"The culture that your cousin and uncle live in is completely different from our own," his grandmother reminded him. Her blue eyes looked at him for the longest time like she was trying to figure out what to tell him. "Comparing yourself to them isn't fair to you or your cousin. If you are going to crack from the realization that there are children out there stronger then you then that is our fault and the fault of society."

Bakugou blinked and knitted his eyebrows together while his parents swirled their heads at Narumi.

"Mom, what do you mean?" Mitsuki finally asked.

His grandmother regarded his mother with careful eyes. "He gets an amazing Quirk and we tell him that he is going to become an amazing Hero and that he is very a special child. It gives him a big head—"

"—I don't have a fucking big head!"

Now Narumi looked at him like she was not impressed by his words and Bakugou scowled. How the hell did he have a big head? He was amazing. So what if his younger cousin bested him in the Sports Festival? Or that Deku was actually catching up to him? That did not mean he had a huge head or whatever psychological issue that his grandmother believed he had.

"You have got superiority complex," his grandmother observed. "You act like a brat whenever you feel weaker than someone."

Was the damn old Crone trying to analyze him again!

"Katsuki!" His father warned as his eyes darted to the sparkles cracking out of Bakugou's hand. The blond-haired boy grunted and cancelled out his Quirk. "Your grandmother means well—"

"—If she wants to psychoanalyze her grandchildren then she should do it on Whiskers!" He snarled, leaning forward towards the table. Bakugou smashed his hand on the table. The table rattled but did not crack under the slam of his fist. "She is the one with rejection and trust issues! I don't have a fucking problem and I won't be one of her patients."

His chest rose up and down as his red eyes focused on the three adults in the room. Bakugou knew that his grandmother wanted and insisted that he went to therapy when it came to his so-called superiority complex but he didn't have a damn problem. A superiority complex implied that he felt inferior to someone and Bakugou wasn't inferior to anyone.

Not to Whiskers and definitely not to Deku.

"Do you even understand why your cousin will have these issues, Bakugou Katsuki?" Narumi asked. Her tone was calm and cold but her eyes were filled with irritation. Was it to the village that messed up his younger cousin? Or was it to him? Bakugou did not know. It could be either of these things when it came to his grandmother.

"Does it matter?" He grunted, digging his hands into his pocket. "You think I have to be fucking polite and do all that nice bullshit? I ain't going to treat her differently because of her crappy life? I ain't going to pity her for that stuff."

His grandmother pinched her nose, looking almost like Whiskers whenever she tried to control her temper towards Pikachu and Grape Boy. Yeah those two were definitely granddaughter and grandmother with those gestures. Bakugou grunted. Any minute now and the Old Crone was going to explode into fury for not being like her.

"If you pity her then I will whack you in the head like I should have when you started to ignore and bully Inko's boy," his grandmother declared, looking as though she sucked a lemon. "When you pity someone, you don't look at that person like they are human but an object. What I want you to do is to start learning compassion and empathy, boy!"

Bakugou kept quiet and his grandmother seemed to have decided to take this as an opportunity to give him a lecture.

"You had a childhood where people loved and cared for you," his grandmother reminded him. "Your cousin? She had to learn how to survive in a country where they don't care about the mental wellbeing of their own children. She had to grow up before you even finished elementary school. That would make anyone have issues. You need to learn things through her perspective and not just your own."

His grandmother made it seem like it was so damn easy but how the hell could he understand her perspective? He could be an even bigger asshole and just say Whiskers had been lucky not to have parents. But only a spoiled brat would say such shitty stuff. They had nothing in common with that regard so how the hell could he understand her?

But he did know one thing about Whiskers.

"You know she ain't going to believe for one minute that you want to get to know her or that you even fucking care about her," Bakugou grunted. "The girl is too fucking paranoid for her own good."

His grandmother chuckled. "Maybe there is some hope for you, Katsuki but fix your tongue and maybe you will be as popular as All Might."

Bakugou really hated the Old Crone.

* * *

_Where the hell am I?_

Dabi groaned and pushed himself up from the blanket as his turquoise eyes scanned the living room. Photos of various red-heads decorated the living room but what stood out to the man was the small shrine in the corner of the room. A picture of a beautiful grey-haired woman with warm light blue eyes stood in the center of the alter.

Dread coiled in his stomach as the man realized who was the woman in the photo. Was her father here? Was _she _here? It had been a struggle for Dabi to leave that hellhole without saying goodbye to her and Eisuke. But if he faltered then he would be forever chained to that man. There would always be a fear for him to crack like his mother did.

The black-haired man shook his head and tried to recall what happened. Right there had been meeting with Isamu's Boss and the childish Boss demanded for his real name. They argued until Shigaraki relented on not knowing his real name until it was really needed. After that, he left Isamu and got cornered by a bunch of thieves.

He burnt them to a crisp, not caring about the consequence of what would happen to his body.

"Well I'm glad that Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."

Dabi stiffened as a familiar voice ticked his ears, reminding him of the days where he and his sister would go over to her cousin's house to play. It should not surprise him. That tiny alter in the corner of the living room had been his little hint of who took him in. That woman had been familiar to him after all.

Amused violet eyes met him and the black-haired man watched as his childhood friend stood right in front of him. The white coat dangling over her shoulders confirmed Dabi's suspicion that Tomoyo was well on her way of becoming a famous doctor. Not that he ever doubted her for a moment when she declared to him and Eisuke about her plans for the future.

He cleared his throat. "You must be blind if you think I'm Sleeping Beauty, Sweetheart."

Tomoyo paused and looked at him for the longest time with blank eyes. That was a very new expression if you asked him because the girl had always been open when it came to her emotions. Then again, the last time he saw the girl was when he was 18 and she had been seventeen. Time passed and people changed.

Just like how he changed, his childhood friend must have changed too.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Tomoyo commented, reciting some quote from some book. It hadn't been the first time that the young woman would quote something out of a novel. Her violet eyes regarded him carefully, fixating on his burnt injuries. "How are you feeling? I patched you up as well as I can do."

Dabi only nodded and looked down at his burnt injuries. The old ones were still there but there were no hints of new burnt marks, which told him that the woman had either used her Quirk carelessly again or did something else. He could never be certain with her, not when her father had a strange Quirk that held no drawbacks.

Exhaling, the male darted his eyes back at the grey-haired woman. His stomach twisted and turned with guilt as those violet eyes looked at him with so much concern. She had always been like this. From the first time they met as little children, the pretty grey-haired woman was always the type to worry about people.

He hated that part of her because it made escaping from that hellhole difficult.

"I'm fine, Tomoyo."

The words spilled out of his mouth and Dabi cursed himself. It was a stupid habit of his to make that comment whenever the woman used to show _unnecessary _worry towards him. He thought after being separated from each other that the habit would disappear. But it served to remind him that Touya couldn't be fully erased from him.

It wouldn't be long before the girl figured out the truth because out of everyone he knew, Tomoyo was the smartest girl he knew. It would be a good idea for him to think of a good lie before the woman quickly caught on to his real identity.

"Your name and photo were blasted all over the newspaper," Dabi shifted his weight around and pressed his feet down to the ground. "You made a name for yourself when Uzushiokage and Hawks rescued you."

Tomoyo twisted her lips into a scowl and clenched her jaws together. It would not surprise him if it would be difficult for him to pull her jaws off or if the young woman cursed him in her mind. Not even when they had been little children in the playground, did the girl like the knowledge that her older cousin saved him.

That expression told him that she hadn't changed one bit.

"I couldn't heal your old burnt injuries," the woman said, changing the topic like she didn't want to discuss over the events of her kidnapping. If he was Touya then they would talk about it and he would rant over how Eisuke was irresponsible for losing her captors. How could he be a Hero when he allowed them to kidnap her? Dabi clenched his jaws together. "But your new ones are healed."

The man forced himself to nod and looked down again at his injuries. There was a part of him that wanted to tell her to be more careful when it came to healing people but he bit his tongue. They were strangers now. Touya died on the night he ran away, reborn into Dabi and he didn't care about the woman.

Tomoyo regarded him and looked like she wanted to question him but his phone ding. With a small frown, he pulled out his phone and swiped left to read the message from Isamu. For the first time in his life, Dabi was quite grateful for the interruption. Any moment longer and he might began to falter again.

_There is another meeting tonight, Dabi and from what I heard from Kurogiri we are going to be meeting one of All For One's associate._

Dabi grunted and slid his phone back. If they were insane and childish like Shigaraki then he would be having the biggest headache of his life. It was already bad enough he had to deal with Isamu, who had been getting agitated over the fact that the relatives of his mother's killer were being protected or something.

The black-haired man sighed. "You are done healing me, right?"

Tomoyo nodded and looked like she wanted to stop him from moving out but Dabi only scowled. Judging from the evening sunlight, he wasted too much time being inside of her apartment. There were going to be a round of questions from Isamu, who probably came back to their apartment and realized that he had been stuck with all of the chores.

God, he was going to be insufferable.

With another sigh, Dabi pushed himself off from the couch and began to drag his feet towards the door. Not once did his eyes flicker to the photo of the three of them in the middle of Eisuke's garden or to her graduation photo. Nope. The past was the past and he only had one goal. The Hero Society would get a rude awakening and maybe the hunger inside of him would fade away.

He stopped in his steps when Tomoyo called out to him.

"We met before, haven't we?" His heart raced against his chest but the man did not look away from the door. "You look a lot like one of my best friends but he escaped from his house."

Dabi kept his lips shut and thought to himself that the woman used the right term to describe his actions. So many people would think he ran away from his childhood home but he escaped. Escape from the man who looked at him like he would never be good enough and who pushed him to his limits when it came to his Quirk.

The man who made his mother cracked and the man who forced his wishes on his sibling.

"Do you miss your best friend so much that you think any stranger on the street is him?"

The words were cruel but he wasn't Touya, who had been too timid and polite around the girl. He was Dabi and it was time for him to destroy any hopes that the girl had when it came to him. But the girl did not look too put off by his rude tone, only giving him a blank expression like she didn't want him to read what was on her mind.

The intern only cleared her throat. "Why wouldn't I miss him? I only said that you look like him but I never implied that you were him."

"Good because I'm not him."

_Touya was dead and he was never coming back even if Tomoyo looked at him with those knowing eyes._

* * *

**Author Note:** So Dabi refuses to acknowledge his past and there is an associate that the League of Villains are going to meet. Naruto and Shouto have a discussion and someone overheard them. Bakugou and his grandmother have an argument while Naruto made it clear to her classmates that her feelings won't change.

Here are a couple of questions for you:

**Question 1: **What do you think of the whole conversation between Naruto and Shouto?

**Question 2:** How do you think Sasuke will react once he finds out that Naruto is with someone else?

**Question 3:** What do you think of the relationship between Bakugou and Narumi?

Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I only own the original characters mentioned in this chapter.

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourite and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"_Hi Uzumaki, how are you? How have things been since our last session?"_

Naruto kept her eyes focused on the deck of poker cards in her therapist hands. The whiskered teen lost count how many sessions they had so far but there was one thing that was consistent in their sessions then it was the poker cards. She knew that the woman allowed her to play the game of poker in order to make her feel relax in this small room.

Yuna stared at her with expecting eyes but did not ask or probe her into talking about the day. The woman simply shuffled the cards, tossing it between them until they had an even set of numbers. Her therapist picked up her set of cards while Naruto gathered her thoughts on what to tell the woman.

The blonde took a deep breath, picked up her cards and finally answered. "I think things are good."

"You don't seem certain," her therapist observed as she dropped her first card onto the table. Green eyes looked at her for the longest time and Naruto waited for the woman to finish her sentence. "Is there a reason for your uncertainty?"

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Naruto regarded the young woman right in front of her. A couple of sessions ago, she would probably lie about her uncertainty or the very least try not to be cooperative but she had to take things seriously. The 15-year-old girl knew how important it was for her to take things seriously for herself.

If she didn't take these sessions seriously then Naruto knew that the pain inside of her wouldn't go away.

"My guardian didn't tell me about my father and my biological grandmother until a few days ago," Naruto finally admitted. She kept her eyes focused on her cards and took in several deep breaths to reigned in her temper. "Then I found out that my friend is my cousin but instead of being allowed to process my emotions, my classmates overheard us. They said they overheard our conversation because they think my cousin was going to confess to me."

Her therapist blinked and blinked before staring at her with wide eyes. She did not say anything for a few minutes, only watching the card that Naruto put down one card on the pile.

Another two more minutes passed and _still_ Yuna did not make any comment. Naruto didn't know how to feel about the silence between them but she did know that she couldn't stop herself from clenching the cards. Was the woman not going to make some observation? Why must there be silence? What was the point again about these session?

"That must have made you angry when you saw they were listening in on a very private conversation," Yuna dropped another card and looked at her with knowing eyes. "What did you do?"

Poking her tongue against her cheek, Naruto forced herself to recall her actions. She scolded them for being cruel to watch Bakugou getting rejected and she was able to stifle the anger inside of her before she could say anything cruel to them. The girl believed it had been a miracle for her to have such a good hold of her emotions when she wanted to panic and accuse Bakugou.

In a way her classmates stopped her from having a panic attack and allowed her to regain control her volatile emotions.

"I told my classmates that they were cruel to watch a rejection," Naruto twisted a strand of her blond hair against her finger and regarded her deck of cards. "I told them I like someone else."

Yuna nodded and regarded her with careful green eyes. Her expression was completely controlled which made it difficult for Naruto to figure out what her therapist had to say. Was she going to say that she was wrong to point out that fact? Was she also going to ask her about Jiraiya? Because Naruto wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

"You are right to say that it is cruel to watch someone get rejected," Yuna offered her a smile and locked eyes with her own blue eyes. The young woman tilted her head. "But do you mind telling me why did you tell them that you like someone? From what I have gathered throughout our sessions, you would never spill that kind of detail to anyone."

Naruto pushed her lower lip backwards and forwards as her mind raced to explain her action. The woman was right. It was not like her to make such a very public declaration of her feelings to people. That was something she would do in Konoha but not something she would do in Japan. She wouldn't have done it especially when her classmates decided to go behind her back to listen in on her conversation.

The only sound that could be heard in the room now was the sound of happy children laughing as they played in the park.

"My classmates knew I like someone else but I think they thought I will change my mind because Bakugou is different from my boyfriend," Naruto finally answered. Her blue eyes softened as Shouto's expression came to her mind. "My boyfriend was there too…and he knows my feelings towards him but he has doubts. I…I just wanted to make things clear to him without announcing to my noisy classmates that we are together."

Her therapist nodded and looked at her for the longest time. What was going to be the next question? Was she going to ask why not public announce her relationship with Shouto to them? She hoped not. With the way her classmates were, Naruto didn't want them to poke and probe into their relationship when it was just new.

"You did something out of place for you because you wanted to reassure your boyfriend of your feelings?" the woman commented with a little hum to her tune. Her green eyes did not look like she was judging her for not publicly announcing her relationship to her whole class, only looking curious to know why she did that for Shouto.

The blond-haired girl nodded. "My boyfriend has issues just like I do and well I thought what would I want if I was in his shoes. I also knew my classmates weren't going to leave me alone until I just tell them what is the reason."

Yuna nodded and made no comment over her acknowledgment that she did have issues. That made Naruto knit her eyebrows together as the young woman put down her cards and pulled out a clipboard. Was the woman pleased that she recognize the fact she did have issues? Not once in their session had Naruto been willing to admit that she had issues.

The whiskered teen frown deepened as she listened to the sound of the woman's scribbling down a few notes into her clipboard. Minutes passed before the woman put down her clipboard and looked at her with curious eyes. "But were you as calm as you were now? You did experience a huge piece of news that they had no business listening to."

"I kept my cool and didn't allow my anger to come out of my voice," Naruto admitted, darting her eyes down to her deck of cards. It was a good set of cards if you asked her, one that could easily help her win this game between them. Unfortunately for her, the woman would never ever give her any money or make any bets on who would win their games of poker.

Yuna licked her dried lips and looked down at her own deck of cards as Naruto put down another card. Her therapist leaned against her own chair, which squeaked at the sudden change of position. The young woman inhaled and exhaled before finally fixating her eyes back onto the jinchuuriki. "Why?"

That question confused Naruto, who blinked at the young woman. It was the first time in her life that someone had ever ask her about why she would try to control her temper. People always asked her on why she couldn't control her temper. Now her therapist wanted to know why she controlled her temper.

Did they really have to talk about why when it was obvious? But then again Naruto knew that she hadn't fully told the story to her therapist.

"Because I won't have anyone liking me if I threw a temper tantrum," Naruto licked her dried lips and took in a deep breath before releasing her breath. "Bakugou already screamed at them for listening in and I see no point of me screaming at them. I was also still a little bit shock and still processing over the fact that he was my cousin."

No noise came out from Yuna and the only thing Naruto could hear were now the giggles of the children coming out from the park. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at the window. Children smiled and dashed through the playground, no doubt playing a game that was probably similar to ninja.

It was probably four minutes later when Yuna picked up her clipboard and began another round of questioning.

"Why does it matter for you to have people like you?"

Naruto blinked and swirled her head at her therapist, who looked at her with curious eyes. That question made the whiskered teen frowned as she tried to think of how to answer the question. It was rather obvious in her eyes but no one really asked her if it mattered to her that people liked her or rather…why she cared.

There were a lot of reason that came to her mind but only one reason seemed simple in Naruto's eyes. The blonde chose this reason because Naruto believed that it wouldn't give a lot of things a way to her.

"Well it is nicer to be like then for people to hate you."

It felt like the woman wouldn't know the exact depth of her life with that question and well Naruto was certain that she did not allow a single one of her feelings come out into her tone. It was cheerful. In the blonde's experience, no one really questioned people when they sounded cheerful but Yuna did not look like she believed her tone.

That frown told Naruto that the woman simply found something interesting in her tone.

"Have you always been doing things to make people like you?" Yuna looked curious as Naruto looked back down at the deck of cards in her hand. The whiskered teen kept quiet as the woman continued to inspect her. "Naruto, you don't have to answer me just yet but have you been doing things to make people like you even when you don't want to do it?"

The word no was on the tip of her tongue, ready to be hurled at the therapist but the whiskered teen swallowed it down. It would be a denial and Naruto knew that denying was not going to help her. She actually had to think back to her time in Konoha before finally giving the answer that she knew would help her.

So with a deep breath, she began to recall every action that she did in the name of acceptance. There was that time when she purposely scored low marks to get Ami off of her back but she continued on because some of the students started to accept her. She agreed to steal something of Sasuke because Naruto thought it would make some of the girls like her.

It had been wrong and she didn't want to do it…but one of the girls promised to hang out with her and Hinata if she did it.

"Yes," Naruto forced herself to relax her shoulders and looked down at her hands. "There were times when I forced myself to do something for another person because I wanted them to like me. There are a lot of times when I want to scream and curse like Bakugou but people will hate me if I show how I really feel or if I just say no. They will reject me."

It was probably the first time she openly acknowledge the fact that she did like to please people. Was it a bad thing? It was rather hard for her to tell when Yuna did not look like she was judging her for having these thoughts. It felt good if you asked her. People judged and judged to the point that it suffocated her.

Not once during these sessions has this woman ever judged or pushed her into talking about something that she was not ready to talk about.

"You seem very certain that people will reject you if you show them your real feelings," Yuna observed. The woman clicked her pen again and began to scribble down a few notes. It looked like gibberish from where the blonde sat. The characters looked so joined together that it made it difficult for her to read what the woman wrote.

Naruto only offered a small shrug at the woman and chose to look away from her therapist eyes. This was probably the longest that the two of them talked about a certain topic but the blonde still did not fully understand what the woman was trying to get at. No matter how many times she tried to figure out the point, the whiskered teen drew blanks.

No sound came out of the room except for the scribbles and Naruto blinked when the woman began to ask next question.

"Naruto, are you perhaps very sensitive to rejection?" Hesitance colored the woman's tone as her green eyes locked onto Naruto's own blue eyes. There was no judgment in her eyes, only plain curiosity at what would be her answer, and that made the whiskered teen knit her eyebrows together.

The blonde tried and tried to think of an answer but nothing really came to her mind. It was not like she did not want to answer the question but there was only one question that came to her mind. It would probably make her look dumb but the whiskered teen knew that she couldn't answer the question unless she asked it.

"What do you mean?"

Yuna did not smile at the question, only nodding her head as she put down the clipboard.

"Do you ever think that if someone, for example, doesn't reply to a text message that they don't want to be your friend?" Naruto knitted her eyebrows together and the green-eyed woman decided to further elaborate. "I mean do you always try to find proof of someone rejecting you?"

"No!"

Even as the loud denial escaped from her lips, Naruto realized how untrue the answer was. She did try to find proof that someone was going to reject her. Why wouldn't she? The very first rejection that came to her mind were her very first friends and the Matron. Her status as a jinchuuriki in Konoha meant that she had never been fully accepted by them. Her best friend rejected her when she told him to come back to Konoha.

Her eyes darted back to Yuna and Naruto found that the woman looked at her with a knowing look. It seemed throughout their whole sessions that the woman could see through her acts. That she could see through her denials.

Naruto sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Yes, you are right. I always try to find proof that someone is going to reject me so I can find reason to reject them before they can do it to me."

The young woman nodded and picked up her clipboard again. Naruto only watched as the green-eyed woman scribbled down a couple of notes before locking eyes on her. "Do you have any idea why?"

"_Why do you look at me like that? You are a monster and monsters like you don't deserve to cry."_

Gulping down the lump, Naruto nodded. "I do."

It always went back to that _hateful_ old woman but the blonde wasn't ready to delve back into the sea of horrible memories.

* * *

She inherited her grandmother's eye colour.

That was the first observation Naruto made when she took a seat in the Bakugou household living room. The whiskered teen sat on the dark brown couch, blue eyes focused on the white-haired woman sitting across her. The old woman must have been a beautiful woman in her youth if you asked Naruto with how small and delicate her features were.

Her Aunt was just as pretty as her grandmother but the whiskered teen couldn't help and acknowledged the fact her classmate (_no, he was her cousin now)_ got most of his features from the woman in front of her. The same woman who looked like she could pass for her early twenties. What did this woman use to look so young? Because Naruto couldn't find any hint of wrinkles on her.

No noise came out of the living room except for the news announcement from the television screen. Two announcers talked about the lack of evidence to find the men who kidnapped the children from a couple of months ago and Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line. No one was ever going to find out the truth of what Iwa nearly tried to do.

"You have my eye colour but you definitely inherited Souta's golden hair," her grandmother observed. Naruto blinked and jerked her head up at Narumi, who offered her a warm smile. "Everything else comes from your Mom."

What should she say to the woman? Because nothing really came to Naruto's mind as her eyes drank in the sight of this elderly woman. From the moment she could walk, all the blonde had ever wondered who did she took after. Kenji told her that she had her father's colors and her mother's facial features but Naruto never fully believed him.

She always thought he was trying to find some resemblance to her mother but her grandmother confirmed what Kenji and Akira had always told her.

"My mother cousin said something similar too," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of her neck. Her eyes flickered to her quiet Aunt, who kept looking at her like she wanted to squeeze the very life out of her, before returning back to Narumi. The 63-year-old woman hummed and smiled at the response.

The whiskered teen felt her cheeks burned up and forced herself to look away from her newly found grandmother. Her eyes quickly latched onto the photo of Bakugou with his parents. Even from a very young age, the boy already mastered his signature scowl and glare while his parents beamed for the camera. Looking at the photo, Naruto realized that Bakugou might look like his mother but he had his father's build.

That made her dart her eyes to her Aunt and her grandmother, who both seemed to have similar body shape as her. Well now that kind of confirmed Naruto's suspicion on which side of the family that she should be grateful towards.

"Are you very close to your mother's family?" Mitsuki asked, smoothing the wrinkles of her skirt. Her red eyes flashed with curiosity as they locked onto her but Naruto could hear a slight nervous tone to the woman's voice. Were they worried for some reason? Did they think badly of her mother's family? Well she could never be certain.

She fiddled with her hands and noticed how her grandmother kept looking at her with analyzing eyes. It was rather odd to be met with a pair of eyes so much like your own, looking at you like they wanted to inspect every single detail of you. But then again Naruto wanted to do the same thing with her own grandmother.

The whiskered teen mentally shook her head at her desire.

"We aren't that close," Naruto plastered on a smile and locked eyes with her Aunt before shifting her eyes to her grandmother. Narumi did not look fully convinced if that raised eyebrow coming from her told the whiskered teen anything, but the 15-year-old was grateful that the woman did not push her to talk. "My mother comes from a huge family."

That probably filled the awkward silence between them.

Narumi nodded and poured herself another cup of tea before darting her eyes to the photo on the bookshelf. Naruto twisted her head around and blinked at the realization that her grandmother had been staring at the photo of her father and Mitsuki. Was that the last photo they ever had together? She wanted to ask but it felt wrong for her to ask.

It did not feel like she had the right to question them if Naruto was being honest and there were a lot of questions running through her mind. How did her grandmother meet her grandfather? Did she have any idea on why her father go to Konoha? What was her favourite food? Those were just one of the million questions running through her mind.

"Have they been treating you well, Naruto?"

The question hung in the air as Narumi looked at her with concern and curious eyes. Naruto kept quiet, heart swelling with an emotion that the girl could not identify at that current moment. Why did the woman care so much despite meeting her for the first time now? She gulped down the lump inside of her throat and forced on a smile.

Crying in front of her was going to make her think that she was a crybaby.

"Yeah," the whiskered teen answered once she controlled the wave of emotions that wanted to come out. "They gave me a place to stay after I ran out on Jiraiya."

Narumi nodded and flickered her eyes out to the window. Naruto couldn't see anything out of the ordinary through the window unless you considered a woman jogging with her dog to be out of the ordinary. Maybe her grandmother was thinking of how nice the weather was. It was a sunny day after all with no cloud on sight or so she had seen before she entered the house.

It was only after five minutes, did her grandmother say something.

"I was worried when your guardian told me that you ran off," Narumi admitted.

The 15-year-old girl blinked and combed her fingers through her blond hair. Those blue eyes shone with so much sincerity that Naruto faltered. Her heart squeezed to the point that the girl feared it might actually explode, which was impossible since she was only sitting down. Maybe it was possible but Naruto figured she had to read it.

Her Aunt bobbed her head in agreement and Naruto felt her throat dried up.

"Why?" she croaked, clenching her jaws together. "Y-You don't know me."

The white-haired woman stared at her for the longest time, lips curled into a thin line and Naruto felt her heart sank at that expression. Maybe it would have been a better idea for her not to let the mask crack but the old woman just told her that she had been worried. A part of her wanted to question her and pretend but Yuna told her to try and think positively.

She should think that it means the woman accepted her despite the fact that she came out of nowhere.

"You are my granddaughter and a very pretty 15-year-old girl," explained her grandmother, who looked from her bright blond hair to her blue eyes. "If anything happened to you then I would whack and punch your guardian for being so irresponsible when it came to taking care of you."

A little laugh escaped from her lips as Naruto pictured the old woman trying to hit her mentor. It would be impossible for the civilian woman to hurt her mentor but the image of the woman doing it was enough to calm down her thundering heart. She blinked when Mitsuki let out a little chuckle and looked at her with sparkling eyes.

"I think you have your mother's smile but you definitely have Mom's sense of humor," Mitsuki observed, flickering her eyes to Narumi. "You find it funny whenever you hear someone getting beat up."

Her grandmother snorted. "It used to be more fun when I beat the living crap out of them; it teaches them a lesson not to underestimate me."

Mitsuki smiled and shook her head while Naruto stared wide-eyed at her smiling grandmother. This was the first time she heard an elderly woman being proud of being able to hit someone. Warmth tickled throughout her whole body as the whiskered teen realized that there could be a little bit of a similarity between them.

Maybe she took after her grandmother because she always felt the same kind of pride.

For the first time in her life, Naruto think that maybe just maybe that she found a family member who wouldn't judge her for not being so girly.

* * *

"_I heard from Fuyumi that you might have a girlfriend, Shouto."_

Shouto blinked as he placed a single autumn bellflower inside of his mother's vase. His mismatch eyes flickered to his smiling mother, who looked at him with curiosity if that tilted head was of any clue to him, and then to the open windows. The early evening sun rays shone through the curtains and the curtains fluttered as the wind danced through the windows.

His mother did not look away from him and Shouto took a seat on the single chair next to his mother's bed. Rei offered Shouto a yoghurt drink and the boy took the offered drink. He should tell his mother that he no longer liked these drinks but the boy couldn't bring himself to tell his mother the truth.

Instead, he chose to think of how to answer the question. Shouto would not lie to his mother but he did want to ask why his older sister made it her business to talk about his private life to their mother or even how she figured out about the change in his relationship status. Leaning against the chair, the boy exhaled and regarded his curious mother.

"I am dating someone but it is new," admitted Shouto. He ran his hand through his hair and wondered why sweat came out of his hands when he had done no strenuous activity for the day. Endeavour did not make any demands for him to do his training, leaving him enough time to bring his mother's favorite flower.

He wondered what was Naruto's favorite flowers were and whether or not she would like it if he brought her one.

"Is it Naruto?" Rei smiled and looked at him with sparkling eyes. It was a very different sight from the one that Shouto saw when he once entered this small room that was his mother's prison. The day he visited his mother, she looked at him with such regretful, sad eyes and now she looked at him with those happy eyes.

He inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down his racing heart. Things were different between them now and talked whenever he had the free time to visit her. But it still startled him that his mother quickly figured out who the girl was. Throughout their visits, not once he admitted to his mother that he was starting to develop strong feelings towards Naruto.

It felt almost cruel to admit his feelings towards his mother when she couldn't meet Naruto just yet.

"How did you know I'm dating Naruto?" asked Shouto once he gathered the courage to look at his mother. The mismatch boy kept his expression blank and his tone in control even though it felt like his heart was now doing cartwheels at the knowledge that his mother knew his own relationship.

His mother smiled and looked at him with knowing but loving eyes. It should make his heart soar but all Shouto could recall was how those grey eyes looked at him like he was a monster as she poured hot, scotching water on his face. It was not her fault. The boy knew if Endeavour hadn't pushed his mother to her limits then the scar on his face would never existed.

The moment his mother snapped out of her spell, she immediately scooped him up and tried to put some ice on his burnt face in the hopes of easing his pain.

"She is the only girl that you talk about," his mother explained softly. She held her hand out, ready to stroke him but Shouto quickly pulled his hand back. It felt too soon for him to have her loving touch again, not when he occasionally still freeze a person if they touch him. So far the only exception to the rule was Naruto and even then it was a new development for him.

He didn't want to see if he would freeze his mother.

Rei slumped her shoulders but made no comment over the fact that he pulled his hand away from her. Only a sigh escaped from her lips and his mother slumped her shoulders, looking almost dejected by the gesture. Shouto felt his stomach twist with guilt even though he knew it was safer for the both of them if he didn't let her touch him.

"I really like her," said Shouto, allowing a small bit of vulnerability to color his tone. He flickered his eyes to the white vase that contained five stems of autumn bellflower. All of them looked fresh but the mismatch-haired boy could not figure out who had given two of those stems. His brother and sister were obvious but the other two were a mystery to him.

If he did not know that his father was incapable of feeling anything to another person, he would have believed that one of those flowers came from Endeavour.

"From what I remember from television, your girlfriend looks like a very pretty girl," Rei commented.

Shouto kept quiet. He did not know what to say since all that flowery stuff didn't really suit him but his mother was right to say that Naruto was very pretty. That was a fact but his girlfriend was more than a pretty face. She was passionate when she wanted to be, understanding even though she seemed to believe that she didn't have that quality, and most of all Naruto was accepting towards people.

He wanted to say all of those things but the words seemed to have decided that it would rather be stuck in his throat then to be spilled in the open air.

"She is more then just a pretty face," he finally spilled.

Rei smiled. "I can also tell that she is quite the character from that very public apology that she made."

His lips twitched at the reminder and the mismatch-haired boy looked out to the window. Most of the children clung to their mother's hands while a few other children dashed around the street, their cheers and giggles so loud that it could be heard from his mother's room. A few of the other patients were being wheeled around by the nurses. He wondered if Naruto had been like one of those children dashing around with their friend.

Shouto could see the girl behaving the same way as a child if she did have only a few friends growing up.

"Naruto will always go far for the people that she cares about," the mismatch-haired boy admitted. He tore his eyes away from the window and locked eyes with his mother. Grey eyes looked at him with knowing eyes and Shouto rubbed the back of his neck. "Naruto will either go big or go home when it comes to them. Most of the time she goes big."

Rei chuckled and looked at the flowers in the white vase. Her grey eyes looked almost faded and Shouto wondered what was going through his mother's head. At that moment the clock struck six, reminding the boy that he only had a few more minutes before he had to go back to his house. He dropped his shoulders at the thought.

"She sounds like someone I know," his mother commented lightly with a nostalgic smile.

Shouto blinked and wondered whether he should question her about her past, but the thought made his palms sweat and his chest tightened with fear. There was nothing for him to fear but something told him that he was not ready to know what his mother had to say. All he could do was stare at his mother, who had the evening sunlight framing her like a picture.

It felt like God mocked him with that image because Shouto could never take his mother away from her prison.

* * *

There was only one unfamiliar face in tonight's meeting.

That was the very first thing Dabi noticed as he took the seat furthest away from the group of Villains. Toga sat near Shigaraki, twirling her knife without a care in the world as her feet dangled on the stool. Isamu sat on Shigaraki's left, an odd choice since the scarred man knew that his roommate preferred not to be near the childish man. Twice sat closer to the unfamiliar face, bouncing in his seat as he talked to Magne.

Kurogiri was of course standing behind the bar, talking to the man in the cloak and Dabi frowned. It was rather difficult for the male to tell but he guessed that the unfamiliar man would be around his height. He did not look like much if those glasses were anything to go by or those baggy clothes but Dabi felt a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

That polite smile playing on the man's lips felt like a façade and Dabi knew all too well from his past of what it meant to build a façade.

"So you are the associate of Sensei who wishes to join in on the fun," Shigaraki commented, putting down his glass on the table. The chatter in the bar died down as everyone shifted their attention on the man who finally decided to come to their meeting. His red eyes inspected the man and he scoffed. "You don't look like much for an associate of Sensei."

The ash-grey haired man did not flinch or looked even bother by Shigaraki's irriation, only offering a polite smile. "I promise you that I'm stronger then I look, Shigaraki-kun but I'm not here to join in with your Vanguard. Orochimaru-sama wants you to bring in _that_ student and in exchange for your hard work I will offer treatment."

Shigaraki twisted his lips into a scowl and Dabi knew that in any moment that the man was going to throw a temper tantrum. He must not be the only one because Kurogiri leaned forward and whispered something to the light-blue haired man's ear, causing him to stop the tremors. That was good because he was going to walk away if the man acted like a child again.

Shaking his head, Dabi shifted his attention to the grey-haired man. That polite smile hadn't faded away one bit but there was a gleam in his eyes that made the scarred young man paused. He knew it was a façade but why was the bastard acting like he was some polite, forgiving little shit? The black-haired man twisted his lips into a scowl.

Twice exchanged glances with Magne and Toga while Isamu eyed the grey-haired man with a weariness that made Dabi blink.

"I don't like him," Toga declared, eyeing the associate with a dislike that almost rivalled the dislike that Dabi felt towards Endeavour. It was understandable why he did not like the man sitting on the stool but he could only wonder what the man had done to earn the girl's dislike. Twice and Magne made no comment while Kabuto did not make any indication that he was affected by the loud declaration.

Isamu only looked at Toga like she was a smart girl for not liking the associate and Dabi exhaled.

"I don't understand why you won't let them kill all of the students that _I _don't want," Shigaraki grumbled, scratching the back of his neck. The grey-haired man only smiled apologetically and the red-eyed man scowled even more. "And you came waltzing in here without giving us your name. I don't like impolite assholes."

Dabi stretched his arms and legs, releasing a small yawn and rolled his eyes while Isamu looked at their Boss with unimpressed eyes. He didn't know about his roommate but it sounded like irony that the most immature person in the room had made this comment. Bastard used just as many swear words as that kid who got second place in the Yuuei Sports Festival.

"My name is Yakushi Kabuto but you may call me Kabuto, Shigaraki-kun," Kabuto offered an apologetic smile and did a small bow in his seats. "But this student is quite special to Orochimaru-sama. While you may be interested in the boy who can create explosives with his sweat, Orochimaru-sama is interested with the Quirk that could compliment quite nicely with the Quirk that he plans to take in the future."

Dabi felt the blood inside of him turned cold as Kabuto smiled even wider at them. He clenched and unclenched his hands as the list of names came to his mind. Maybe it was just his imagination but that tone implied their plans was going to be as sick as what Endeavour had done to his wife. The man dismissed the idea.

"So Orochimaru hasn't changed his ways even after the Third Hokage chased him out for human experimentation," Isamu commented, looking at the grey-haired man with distaste. The whole atmosphere in the room became cold at those words as everyone processed what the young man had just commented. "But why _this_ student? Wouldn't the daughter of the Yellow Flash be of more interest to him?"

Dabi knew that despite the calm tone coming out of his roommate's mouth that the man was just looking for an opportunity to get into a fight. He could see it from the way his roommate's hand crept down to his socks, where the scarred man suspected that he kept his kunai. The black-haired man sighed and looked at the drinks on the display with longing.

If he was going to witness a fight between his roommate and the associate then he wanted to be drunk.

"You are so eager to fight, Isamu-kun," Kabuto shrugged and picked up the offered glass of drink that Kurogiri had made for him. A smile played on his lips as his black eyes gleamed with a calculated look. "That eagerness is going to get you killed one day."

Isamu narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm giving you advice from one child soldier to another," the man commented with a cheerful tone but Dabi could hear the mocking undertone in his voice. His roommate must have heard it too or else he wouldn't clenched his hands into a fist. "But to answer your question, taking that girl will ruin all the work that Orochimaru had done on his apprentice."

The brown-haired man thinned his lips but seemed to have accepted the answer, not looking one bit curious to know what the man meant. The same could not be said for Shigaraki who eyed the grey-haired man with curiosity shining through his red eyes. The young man opened his mouth to say something, only for Kurogiri to shoot a warning look at the man.

Dabi eyed Kabuto and asked the question that he knew would probably be on everyone's mind. "Why aren't you the one capturing your _intended _target?"

Black eyes gleamed with amusement and looked at Dabi like he knew him. The idea was ridiculous if you asked him but fear crept up in his stomach as those black eyes looked at him with unfaltering confidence. Kabuto knew his real identity. There was no two ways about it because why would he look at him like that?

He exhaled and schooled his expression into a look of indifference.

"Well Sasuke-kun requested I keep him updated on his teammates and Naruto-chan is his favorite teammate," Kabuto smiled and looked at him like he pitied him. That only made Dabi clenched his jaws together as black eyes gleamed with interest. "I'm sure Sasuke won't be happy with me if I fight his first love but _maybe_ her boyfriend might be a different story. I mean he might _just_ try to kill Endeavour's son for making a move on her."

It sounded like a threat to his ears and Dabi felt his whole body turned icy cold at what the man implied. If all of them failed to do their job properly then his little brother might end up having someone who wanted to murder him. He clenched his jaws together as everyone darted their eyes between them, looking as if they were trying to make sense of the whole thing.

He only kept quiet and glared at the man who threatened his youngest brother.

The only person who could threaten Shouto was Dabi and no one else.

* * *

**Author Note: **So do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and I do hope that everyone is keeping safe during these troubling times. Can anyone figure out which one of the students that Orochimaru might want?


	22. Chapter 22

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter as well as everyone that added this story to their favorites and follows.

* * *

"_U-Uzumaki-san, what are you doing here?"_

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and shifted her weight to her right foot as Midoriya looked at her with knitted eyebrows. It was rather quite understandable why her friend looked at her with confused eyes as he pinched himself. Her friend winced and Naruto almost snickered at the action but she held herself back.

It was not every day she took the opportunity to visit him but it would be rather cruel of her not to visit him after being cornered by that villain in the mall. The knowledge that the boy had been threatened, made her skin prickle. From what Uraraka wrote in their group chat last night, the villain had been the same one who nearly killed Aizawa-sensei.

She inhaled. "I heard what happened to you in the Mall and well I, uh, came to check up on you."

"You heard of Shigaraki cornering me and you decided to check up on me because you were worried for me?" Midoriya asked, eyebrows raising up to his hairline. He ran his hands through his hair and looked over his shoulder before looking back at her with curious, eager green eyes like he wanted the confirmation from her about his suspicion.

Naruto paused and swallowed down the lump in her throat. He was right to presume it was concern which brought her here and the blonde would not deny the fact she had been worried. It had been concerning to read those text message, but to vocalize her concern to him was rather weird for her.

It had been easy as a child to show her concern to her friend but it had been a long time since she fully admitted her concern.

The whiskered teen exhaled. "Yeah, I was worried about you especially when I can still remember how you used to flinch whenever Explosive Head used his Quirk."

Midoriya smiled slightly at her words and within seconds he swung the door fully opened. It smacked the wall with a bang, earning a wince from her and an apologetic smile from the green-haired boy. Shrugging her shoulders, the blonde entered the apartment and took the time to inspect the apartment that her friend shared with his mother.

The apartment sparkled with a cleanness that Naruto knew came from hours of endless cleaning. Not a single speck of dirt laid on the ground or the walls but Naruto could see crayon lines on the wall. Midoriya's name and age was on top of each line, telling the whiskered teen that his mother must have measured his height every year.

But what really interested Naruto was the lack of photos of his father.

"If I have known that you were going to come, I would have tidied my bedroom," Izuku admitted with a nervous laugh as he brought her to the living room. Just like in the hallway, there was no sign of a mess which highlighted her suspicion that his mother was the type of woman who wouldn't rest until every single piece of dirt was gone.

Naruto wished she had that kind of lust when it came to her own apartment.

Shaking her head, the girl sunk onto the couch and replied. "The living room is fine with me, Midoriya."

Izuku looked at her with relief in his green eyes and scurried towards the kitchen. Her friend opened the cupboards and pulled out a couple of blue plates and a tray before dashing to the fridge. Naruto watched with blank eyes as the older boy brought out a couple of opened cookie bags alongside two small cartons of orange juice. He placed them on the tray and hurried towards her.

The tray fell with a gentle thud on the coffee table and the green-haired boy took a seat on the armchair. Neither of them talked as they looked at each other to the walls surrounding them. The jinchuuriki did not know what was making her classmate quiet but she knew what made her quiet. She did not know what to tell him, so the blonde only looked at her hand as she tried to think of what to say to him.

"S-so how are things between Kacchan and you?" Midoriya asked. The younger boy fiddled with his hands as he looked at her with bright curious green eyes.

Naruto paused at the question as the doves sang their afternoon song. Picking up a cookie, the whiskered teen took a small nibble and closed her eyes as she regarded the question. It was a very good question but should she talk about it? It would be a good idea. They were friends and she should stop letting that dark, little voice inside of her head from taking control of her actions.

She exhaled and forced herself to smile at him. "Explosive Head wasn't there when I met his Mum and our grandmother for the first time. I don't know what to think about it."

Izuku blinked and looked like he was taken back by her admission and the girl took another nibble of her cookie. _He doesn't want to get to know me._ That was what a large part of her brain told her but Naruto knew it was the negative self-talk talking to her. Yuna gave her homework to do when it came to that voice.

"_Instead of following that negative self-talk, try to make it positive even if you find it difficult. I want you to identify when that negative self-talk is going to start." _That was what the woman requested her to do and Naruto thought it was easier said than done. How could she turn it into a positive thing? Maybe she should think that it would change in the future and that he needed time.

"Kacchan probably thought you didn't want to be overwhelm by having so many people there," Midoriya suggested. A nervous smile played on his lips and the whiskered teen nodded. "He probably also think that Mitsuki-obaachan and his grandmother were the ones who needed the meeting more then him. He knows you after all."

Naruto nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "Well either way Mitsuki and my grandmother agreed to take our time to get to know each other."

The younger boy frowned but made no comment about their decision to take things slow. If Naruto had been a young, naïve girl again then she would have been very eager to get to know them. But there would always be a shadow of doubt in her mind when it came to interacting with her relatives. Was it due to what happened with Sasuke? Or due to her childhood? It could be both for all she knew.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Naruto stared up at the ceiling. The fan spurn and spurn like one of those wheels that came up in a computer screen whenever she tried to load things up. The world around her spin and the girl forced herself to look away from it. Her blue eyes focused on Izuku, who now looked at her with considerate eyes.

"It must feel weird for you," Midoriya observed.

The blonde sighed and nodded. "It feels strange to go from being an orphan without any biological family members to being an orphan with more family members than my fingers could count."

He blinked and looked at her like he was surprised for her to be willing to divulge this much information to him. This whole trusting thing again was kind of new to her but she had to give it a try. _The best way for you to find out if you can trust a person is to trust them._ Her boyfriend's words echoed in her ear, giving her the courage to open up about her feeling towards the matter.

But if Midoriya wanted her to talk even more about her feelings then she was going to stop things right here and right now.

The blonde shook her head and stretched her arms, letting out a little sigh as her back let out a little audible crack. If Midoriya heard the crack then the boy made no comment. Instead he only picked up a cookie and nibbled it as his eyebrows knitted together like the boy was in deep thought. Knowing her friend, he probably was in another world by now.

"Are you still not living with Jiraiya-san?" Izuku finally asked, swallowing down the final crumb of his cookie. Crumbs decorated the corner of his lips and the whiskered teen stopped herself from trying to wipe the crumbs off of his lips. Just because he looked so ridiculous with those crumbs, did not mean she had to be the one to clean him up.

She exhaled. "I'm going back to my apartment later to pack for the Forest Lodge so Jiraiya is definitely going to corner me into talking about things. He is probably one of the most stubborn men that I know."

No smile graced Midoriya's lips at her words. Her friend pressed his lips into a thin line and kept flickering his eyes from her to the walls around them before focusing on the cookie. Naruto only watched as the boy shifted left and right in the armchair, who gasped at the action done by the green-haired boy.

After a couple of minutes, her friend finally managed to gather the courage to spit the question that Naruto knew was running through hisss mind.

"Are you ready to talk to him?" Izuku locked eyes with her. "There is a reason that you ran out on him."

It was a good point but Naruto knew that there was only so much that she could do. If anyone from Konoha knew that she ran out because of the fact she couldn't handle the news then most of them would laugh at her. _I call myself the Head Bitch-In-Charge and I run away with my tail behind my legs._ It was pathetic of her and she was anything but pathetic.

"I can't keep avoiding him forever," Naruto explained, plastering on a smile as her eyes locked onto him. "He is my mentor and Ero-Sennin is my guardian in Japan."

She folded her legs over each other and smoothed the wrinkles of her shirt as her eyes locked onto the photo of a young Bakugou and Midoriya. No matter how many years passed since she came here, Naruto still found it odd that these people considered her a child. At the age of six, she learnt how to pay her own rent and the importance of budgeting. The Hokage helped her but only because she had no clue of what to do.

It was not like the Matron believed she was worthy to learn budgeting.

"_Learn how to read? Why would I teach __**you**__ how to read?"_

The Matron also did not believe that she should have that basic right and it had been rather a struggle for her to try to read. _Mikoto-obaachan was happy to teach me and Sasuke used to correct me whenever I misread something._ Her lips quirked slightly at the memory and then faded as cruel black eyes flashed before her eyes.

"Who was your Guardian back in your village?" Izuku asked. Naruto blinked and schooled her expression into a blank one. No one would be the answer but telling the boy would earn a look of pity. Sympathy and compassion were emotions she would accept but if someone looked at her with pity then she would hurl her fist at them.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and chirped. "I came here to talk about you and your feelings, Midoriya. We aren't going to talk about something unimportant like who took care of me as a little girl."

"R-Right," Midoriya stuttered. He did not look put off by the fact that she decided not to give him that tiny fact about her life to him, only looking down at his hands. A scar decorated his finger but the whiskered teen couldn't recall how he got the scar. Was it from the Sports Festival? Or was it another event? Everything seemed like a blur to her.

Naruto shook her head and cleared her throat. "Do you want to talk about it? It must have been nerve-wrecking to be threatened by that guy."

Midoriya's hand gingerly touched his neck and the older boy shuddered. "I just k-keep thinking that I'm lucky he didn't disintegrate my neck."

A frown played on her lips at those words and the blonde picked up another cookie. She took a huge bite of the sweet before picking up the small carton of orange juice. Tearing the straw out of the box, the girl jammed the straw inside the carton and Naruto took a huge gulp of her juice box.

The sour taste of her juice cleared her mind as Naruto looked down at the plates of cookies. Only three cookies were left but it probably would be finished by the time that she was done talking to Midoriya. She swallowed her drink and decided that there was just nothing for her to say. If she did not know what to say, it was better for her to say nothing at all.

Only the sound of little children screaming could be heard in the living room as Midoriya looked at her. He didn't look irritated over the fact she could not find the words of comfort but the wobble of his lower lip told Naruto that something else was on his mind. It must weighed heavily on his mind because he kept looking at her like he wanted to question her.

Her eyebrow twitched at this knowledge and Naruto allowed a tiny growl to escape from her lips. "Y'know I am not going to bite your head off if you want to ask me a question."

Midoriya squeaked and poked his fingers together, looking so much like a hurt little bunny that Naruto felt her stomach coiled with guilt. How could he look like a hurt little bunny and still have a punch that could make her feet skittle slightly? It was rather unfair because only a cruel person could not feel guilty for being irritated at his behavior.

Or you could be Explosive Head.

"W-Why did you smile that day during your fight against the Nomu in USJ?" Izuku finally asked. He could not look her in the eyes and Naruto knitted her eyebrows together. "W-Weren't you scared to fight him? Did you really think you can beat him?"

Naruto's eyebrows rose at the sudden question as green eyes flashed with confusion and curiosity. The blonde could see the sweat dribbling down the side of his face and she closed her eyes. What had she been thinking at the time? Protect everyone had definitely been on her mind but had she been fearful? Not really.

Fighting Gaara had been even more terrifying if you asked her but she was not going to spill that detail to him.

"I wasn't thinking when I fought them but I knew everyone needed to be protected," Naruto replied. "Was I scared? Well I don't remember but I do know that it is easy to show people that you are scared. But smiling? It gives me the confidence that I can do anything."

Midoriya nodded and Naruto took another sip of her juice box.

Those words weren't a lie but they weren't the complete truth if you asked her.

* * *

Her _beautiful_ apartment was now a pigsty.

That was the conclusion Naruto made as she gawked at the sight of her messy apartment. So many ramen cup were littered around the living room alongside the sake bottles scattered around the room. The mixture of salty ramen and alcohol burned her nostrils and the blonde looked at the man lying on the couch. The small orange notebook lying on Jiraiya's stomach told the girl that her mentor had been editing his novel.

The whiskered teen cleared her throat and Jiraiya shot up from the couch, his orange notebook crashing onto the piece of ramen cup. No words were spoken between them as Naruto stared at her teacher. Dark circles covered his eyes and there was a gauntness to his cheeks that the girl had never seen on him before.

"You are back," Jiraiya finally said.

Naruto only kept quiet. She wished to keep herself in control before saying anything that could potentially damage their relationship. So she knelt down and began to pick up the empty ramen cups as she gathered her thoughts. There must be around eight or nine ramen cups on the floor as well as a few on the kitchen counter but that was not the biggest issues for the girl.

It was the stains on the carpet that really made her want to throttle the man because those were the hardest stains for her to get rid of.

"You look like shit," the whiskered teen kept her tone even and emotionless as she walked over to the trash bin. "And didn't I tell you if you are going to stay with me then you have to keep this apartment clean? I have a part-time job, school and training to deal with. I don't want to be saddle with cleaning duty too."

Naruto didn't turn around but she knew her mentor was probably gawking at her. If she turned around then this mask on her face would break and the emotions would come out like a volcano ready to erupt. She could not allow that to happen so she stuffed the ramen cups into the trash bin before opening the cupboard underneath the kitchen sink.

Tearing off the green trash bin, the whiskered teen strolled to the furthest corner away from Jiraiya and placed the first sake bottle into the bag. Tidying up was a rather odd action to do but Naruto found that it allowed her to process everything. The mess around the apartment meant that maybe things hadn't been easy for Jiraiya.

To fill the tense silence between them, Naruto began to hum a little tune. Silence was not something she enjoyed, not when it meant that it would give her an opportunity to have that negative thought coming through her head. Nothing ever good came from it if that session with Yuna taught her anything.

"I-I thought you were upset with me," Jiraiya commented as the girl continued to clean up the mess made during her absence. Naruto stopped in her steps but did not turn around to look at her teachers. "You ran out of here without telling me where you were going."

So many vicious words came to Naruto's mind like telling him that it was his fault but the girl held herself together as much poised as she could gathered. Taking in a deep breath, she stopped in her steps and began to tie up her trash bin. It was easy for her to lash out but it was harder for her to not say every rude thing that came to her mind if you asked her.

How did her younger self manage to keep herself under control was a complete mystery to Naruto.

"If I told you where I had gone then you would have bugged me and it would have led me into saying a lot of hurtful things to you," the blonde threw the trash bin over her shoulders and made her way towards the door. She dropped it on the ground with a clear thud but did not turn around to look at her teacher. It was rather difficult for her to keep her emotions in check if she looked at him.

The 12-year-old Naruto would have screamed, punched and threw a tantrum but she was 15 now. A lot of things happened to her and maybe it was time for her to show that she was more mature then she let him and everyone else be. _I just could never be bothered to act like an adult when I was 12._ She wanted to enjoy the little aspects of things.

"So what does that mean to you?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto guessed that the man must be frowning at her wording but it was also a good thing he was questioning her. She knew the Toad Sannin wanted to know whether he was forgiven or not but was probably smart enough to realize that he couldn't push her to answer him.

Naruto inhaled and exhaled as her eyes locked onto the trash bin. "It means that you broke my trust, Ero-Sennin and I'm really struggling when it comes to trust. Aizawa-sensei thinks that I have a phobia when it comes to trust and what you did? That proved him right."

No words came out of Jiraiya's lips as she admitted the secret that she kept from him. It was not right of her to tell him about the phobia that Aizawa-sensei believed she had but it needed to be spoken. Not for him to pity her or for him to think that she was weak but for him to understand her reactions. Naruto didn't know what the man would think about this little snippet of her truth.

Maybe he believed she was exaggerating but she just wanted to get it out of the way.

"Is that an actual thing?" Jiraiya asked quietly. The fact he sounded curious and concern made the girl paused and tempted her to turn around to look at him. But Naruto held her ground and stared at the brown door. It was reassuring he was curious but at the same time she wished he didn't sound so surprised too.

The blonde mentally shook her head and rubbed circles around her hand.

"Apparently," Naruto replied, gluing her feet to her spot. "It isn't like the Old Hag's hemophobia since my phobia is a lot more abstract in thinking…but it is a real thing. I actually looked it up in the search engine once."

Her voice faltered at the last part and the whiskered teen forced herself to turn around to look at Jiraiya. It was rather odd that she could fight her fellow jinchuuriki and give speeches to her enemies without flinching, but when it came to admitting that she might have a problem, all she wanted to do was curl into a ball.

Jiraiya stared at her for the longest time like he did not know what to make of her admission. His hands seemed ready to hug her but Naruto only scooted away from him, head shaking at the action. Comfort was the last thing she wanted. What they needed was to talk things out, not for him to feel guilty.

She wanted him to understand, not for him to look at her with those guilt-ridden eyes.

"You never told me about it," the white-haired man sunk back into the couch and closed his eyes like he was deep in thought. "You told me that you were getting therapy for your trust issues but you never told me that you have an actual phobia."

The blonde only kept quiet. She did not want to tell him because it never really seemed like a big deal for her. Not once did her supposed pistanthrophobia actually affect her in Konoha but if it was true then it needed to be treated. Trust was important between teammates and if she had to work in a team when she went back to the village then this fear needed to be conquered.

It was also important when it came to her friendships here and her own relationship with Shouto but she was never going to tell Jiraiya this.

"Look I didn't think it will be a big deal to you," Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and allowed a scowl to grace her lips. "Having a phobia of blood like the Old Hag? That is understandable. But having a phobia based on trust? Who the fuck is going to believe that? Everyone back in Konoha would have laughed at me. They would have thought I was trying to get attention."

It was a fact because Naruto knew damn well what everyone thought of her. The attention-seeking brat who always smiled like an idiot or the bitch that could not feel an ounce of sympathy for what Sasuke went through. Maybe there was some truth behind their words but admitting that she had problems too? Well no one cared.

Whatever problems she had inside of her was only her burden.

"I was very irresponsible when it came to you," Jiraiya picked up his novel and looked at her thoughtfully like he was deeply considering something. That made her stomach coil with worry and the male exhaled. "Your teacher and your grandmother kept saying it but these last few days made me realize that I…have been selfish towards you."

Her chest tightened and Naruto felt a burning sensation behind her eyes but she was not going to let those tears fall. That might sound like an apology but she was not going to accept it at the current moment. But there was something that she should tell him. What she had to tell him was not because of kindness but an observation.

"You only treated me like how any other orphan is treated in Konoha," Naruto swallowed down a lump and clicked her heels together before turning away from him. "I'm not saying you are forgiven but you know orphans aren't given a priority. I mean it doesn't excuse your actions but that was something I thought about when I laid in bed."

It would come up in a random thought and then she would think long and hard about it.

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "You know your Father had a lot of plans when it came to orphans and children in general. He spent a whole year campaigning with the council with making a hospital for people facing mental health problems but… the council wouldn't budge because of budget and a lack of knowledge on the area."

Naruto blinked and looked down at her feet. Her father had only been Hokage for a year and half before the Kyuubi attacked, which meant they had never seen the fruits of his labor. But the fact that he had plans for children like her meant that he probably had not been a bad person. It did not excuse his action towards her but it reminded her that he probably had been human too.

That maybe he did not really see what his own action would do to her.

"Y'know the council is kinda stupid," she cleared her throat and looked at the blank television screen. "I mean if you think about it, you would have better functioning shinobi if you invested on mental health."

Her teacher made no comment at her words, allowing her to muse over the money that Kenji-sensei had given her. It would be counterintuitive of her to use that money for Konoha but Naruto wondered how things would have been different if there had been someone to diagnose or help treat poor mental health. Perhaps Itachi wouldn't have gone insane and maybe she would understand why it had been difficult for her to get out of bed.

But if she used such money for that kind of endeavor then she would need someone to negotiate and someone to teach about the topic.

"I should have been there for you as a child."

Poking her tongue against her cheek, Naruto closed her eyes. When she allowed her emotions to get the better of her, she would say to him that he hadn't been there. That he was probably one of the many reasons for her horrible childhood but that was not healthy for her, she realized. The negativity affected her so maybe it was time for her to think of something positive.

"_Don't you envy her for being alone and not having any parent to nag you all day?"_

Sakura's words echoed in her ear and Naruto curled her lips into a bittersweet smile as a realization dawned on her.

"You might not have been there for me but I learnt that it is better to treasure the things that most people take for granted because of you," Naruto smiled wider. "I have you and the Hokage to thank for that."

Except maybe she might have ruined things with Hinata but she would fix things between them. Not now while she was still maybe a little bit messed up and had a whole list of undiscovered issues. When Naruto wanted to contact her best friend again, she wanted to make sure that she could honestly say that she was getting better.

"_Are you perhaps very sensitive to rejection?"_

If that was only one issue then Naruto could only wonder about the whole list of problems that might be inside of her.

"So am I forgiven?"

Naruto paused as Jiriaya looked at her with expecting eyes.

"We can work on it," she relaxed her shoulders and offered the man a little smile before darting her eyes at the mess that still clung to her apartment. "And I am coming back home because apparently you are hopeless without me! How the hell am I going to leave you for a week if you can't keep my apartment clean while I'm gone?"

Jiraiya smiled sheepishly and the blonde wrinkled her nose. She opened her mouth to scold him even more, only to close her mouth when she heard her phone ring. It was rather odd for her to hear the phone ring but it must mean that someone was sending her a message. It could not be Shouto because they already made an agreement on what time to meet later for their date.

She blinked when she saw that the message came from Yaoyorozu.

_Naruto, can we meet tomorrow in your workplace? There is something that I want to talk to you about._

The whiskered teen frowned.

Something told her that she was not going to like whatever her classmate had to talk to her about.

* * *

**Author Note**: So this chapter is shorter than the previous chapter but I will make the next chapter longer. As for the answer the question in the previous chapter, it will be revealed in the next arch which will start after the next chapter. Do let me know of your thoughts on this chapter and the story in general.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I only own the original characters.

**Author Note: **I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Yaoyorozu, are you going to tell me why you called me out here?"_

Naruto traced the flowery image on her pink cup of hot chocolate as Yaoyorozu fiddled with her hands. The scotching heat of the cup burned her hands and the blonde wondered whether the high temperature of her cup would help her keep grounded. She inhaled and exhaled, calming down her pounding heart, as her eyes continued to focus on the black-haired girl.

Not once since they entered her part-time job, did the girl look her in the eyes. She would look at the servers, who kept darting their eyes from her to the black-haired girl, or at the other customers. Not even when they ordered their perspective drinks, did her classmates focus her eyes on her. It seemed like she was guilty about something if you asked her.

"I have something to admit," her classmate admitted, picking up her tea cup. Yaoyorozu looked down at her tea cup for the longest time before looking back at her. "I overheard the conversation that you had with Bakugou after the practical exam."

The loud chatter and giggles from the other customers sounded muffled against her ears and Naruto took in a deep breath. Her stomach coiled with anger as her classmate looked at her with guilty eyes. Not even the sweet scent of her hot chocolate could help her calm down. Naruto knew she needed to calm down and identify her emotions before letting her mouth spill her thoughts.

She inhaled and exhaled as her classmate continued to stare at her with anxious eyes. A huge part of her wanted to whip her with her words but that would be cruel. The girl looked genuinely worried about her reaction if that little tremble on her back told her anything. Naruto combed through her long hair with her fingers, detangling any tangles in her hair.

"I never pictured you to be the type to listen in on a conversation," Naruto replied. She kept her tone as calm as she could make it but it was rather difficult when her whole body trembled with irritation. It was easy for her to lash out and accused people but that would break relationships. Naruto knew the only reason she was keeping calm was because of her memories.

She remembered the cruel glint in Ami's eyes as the girl accused her of being in love with Sasuke. _You think Sasuke-kun will love someone like you? He only plays with you because he feels sorry for you._ Children were cruel and Naruto could recall how Ami never understood that it had never been that kind of love between them. It always irritate her when people accused her without any facts.

It would make her a hypocrite to accuse the girl of being a busybody.

Yaoyorozu flinched and looked down at her hands before putting down her cup of tea. Black eyes shone with hesitance like she was trying to figure out how to explain things to her. Naruto knew it was a very much possible that was going through her head. Her classmate was always the type to think things through. Maybe a little bit too much if you asked her.

"I was worried about you," the older girl finally confessed. Naruto raised a single eyebrow and picked up her cup of hot chocolate, earning a nervous sigh from the girl. "It is just that you looked so nervous when you called Bakugou out and well he looked furious. I guess I was concern that he was going to say something that will hurt your feelings."

The blonde shivered, not because of the words touched her cold heart, but because she could feel the cold chill coming from the air condition that sat on the back wall. She rubbed the sides of her arm, looked down at her feet before looking back at Yaoyorozu. Black eyes could not meet her, flashing with a fear that Naruto knew all too well from her childhood.

She didn't know anything about Yaoyorozu except the girl came from a rich family and she was really smart. Yaoyorozu was also probably one of the kindest people she knew. The vice-president offered to tutor anyone who struggled with their subjects, looking so happy to help them. As long as she recalled these little details, Naruto knew she could push back the dark voice inside of her head.

The voice that would always say:

_This person doesn't really care about me. They want something from me._

If she recalled every example and reminded herself that people could care about her without wanting something, then maybe that voice would go away from her mind. Hopefully if she kept doing it then that negative voice would go away forever.

"You must have a lot of questions for me," Naruto finally said once she managed to fight against her natural urge. She plastered on a smile, picked up the cup of hot chocolate and took a small sip of her chocolately drink. Her tongue burned but the whiskered teen did not allow herself to flinch.

Yaoyorozu blinked, relaxed her shoulders and nodded. "I tried to do some research on it but nothing came up."

The whiskered teen hummed and took another sip of her drink. That piece of information did not surprise her, not when she knew the Elemental Countries were hidden for a reason. The people from the Elemental Countries would have stayed ignorant at the possibility of countries filled with so many Kekkei Genkei if it was not for her.

"Ask away." Naruto put down her drink and tried to muster what she hoped to be an encouraging smile. "I will try to answer your questions as best as I can but I won't make any promises. I don't have all the facts and if I don't feel comfortable answering the question then I won't answer it."

Yaoyorozu nodded, not looking too put off at the fact that Naruto admitted that she would not answer questions that made her uncomfortable, and picked up her own tea cup. Only thoughtfulness and consideration flashed through her eyes as the black-haired girl stared down at her cup.

"How are you a kunoichi?" The 15-year-old girl traced her tea cup and a small frown graced her lips. "From what I remember and my own research, shinobis are extinct."

Naruto stretched her arms before interlocking her fingers together. She kept her eyes focused on her classmate as she rested her head on the top of her interlocked hands. "Maybe in Japan but they definitely still exist where I come from."

Black eyes widened at those words and the blonde waited for the inevitable question to come out of those lips. It was getting rather exhausting for her to explain the whole thing to people if you asked Naruto. Maybe it would be a good idea for her to just make a small movie clip to explain the whole thing to them. The blonde nodded and decided that she would do it after they were done with the whole school trip.

"Where do you come from?"

Naruto paused. It had been easy for the girl to explain things when she had no idea of who her father was but now it made things complicated. Must she explain about how her father had been born here and then went to Konoha? The blonde guessed that these details were not very important to explain it. Even though her father was born in Japan, she was still born in the Elemental Countries.

She might speak the same language as them and had some roots here, but it did not change the fact she grew up in the Elemental Countries.

"I come from one of the many countries in the Elemental Countries," she finally answered. The blonde sat up straight in her seat and scanned the café. Not a single one of them looked at her except for one person. The male did not look familiar to her since he had light blue hair and brown eyes but Naruto felt her stomach coiled with unease.

She could definitely sense chakra coming from the man and it felt very much familiar to her, but Naruto couldn't remember where she felt the chakra before. Naruto knew she should confront the man but it would make Yaoyorozu wonder what was wrong. It was going to be fine because if that man tried to do anything to her classmate then Naruto would deal with him.

Yaoyorozu cleared her throat. "I never heard of them."

"I would be worried if you found out about them without confronting me," Naruto darted her eyes to the man with light blue-hair and then looked back at her classmates. "The Elemental Countries are hidden from the rest of the world for a reason."

Naruto waited for the girl to ask what could be the reason but her classmate only looked down at her cup. A wrinkle formed on her forehead like the black-haired girl was trying to figure out the reason. Could the girl even figure out why? Maybe. Yaoyorozu was very much analytical and maybe there might be something in her behaviour that could make her see reason.

"I can't figure out how you can hide so many countries," Yaoyorozu admitted.

Picking up her cup of hot chocolate, Naruto exhaled. "There are a bunch of illusions in place alongside a couple of seals."

She saw the curiosity and wonder shining through the girl's eyes at those words and the blonde wished that she could explain the whole thing. But it would be rather difficult to elaborate, Naruto realized as she took another sip of her drink. Unlike Bakugou, Midoriya and Shouto, the girl was the type that needed a very well-detailed explanation.

The girl knew that she was incapable of doing that and Yaoyorozu must have realized it too or why else would she look so disappointed? Black eyes regarded her carefully and Naruto wondered what was going through her mind. If it was Shouto then it would be easy for her to read the girl but Yaoyorozu was very good in keeping her thoughts to herself.

In a way, her classmate reminded her of Hinata but that was perhaps where all similarities between them ended.

"Gaara-san and his siblings are shinobi as well."

The confidence in Yaoyorozu startled her, making her blink her eyes at how quickly the black-haired girl figured things out. Then again, Naruto guessed that introducing the Suna Siblings as childhood friends would have been all the facts that Yaoyorozu needed to figure things out. A sigh escaped her lips and the blonde slowly nodded her head.

Naruto only heard the distinct chatter of the customers and smelt only the heavenly scent of her boss cooking as the black-haired girl continued to stare at her. The blonde knew what would be the next question. It would be logical for her classmate to ask where those three came from in the Elemental Countries or even what brought the four of them here.

"You called yourself a jinchuuriki," Yaoyorozu said softly as if they were broaching a forbidden topic that could never be heard. Naruto guessed it was both a sensitive and forbidden topic since she always wanted to keep it a secret. "What does that mean exactly, Uzumaki? I really don't like what that word means."

She knitted her eyebrows together. "Why?"

Her classmate stared at her for the longest time, looking like she did not know whether she was being serious or not about not understanding her dislike. Naruto really did not understand. She knew why she hated the term but it was an absolute mystery for her when it came to Yaoyorozu.

"It makes you sound like you aren't human," Yaoyorozu hissed, black eyes darting to the sides before focusing on her. Naruto noticed with wide eyes that her classmate trembled and looked like she was about to cry. The blonde felt sweat coming out of her palms and immediately wiped it against her dress before grabbing the napkin on the table. She handed it to the girl. "It makes it seem like you are a sacrifice."

No words came out of her mouth as Naruto stared at the girl. She should give the girl a smile and say that it was not the case. That it was not that bad but the words couldn't come out of her mouth. It was like it was stuck in her mouth, unwilling to budge from its spot. The whiskered teen took a deep breath and swallowed down the lump.

"In a way, I guess _we_ were sacrificed," Naruto finally said. She forced herself to give a smile and pushed back the memories and hurtful thoughts that came to her mind. This was difficult for her to think positive but she had to do it for the sake of her classmate. It was important for her to overcome the pain that twisted her heart. "In order to protect our homes, they offer our life to the beast in exchange for power."

Yaoyorozu frowned. "Beast?"

"Yeah I have a beast made out of a special energy called Chakra inside of me," the blonde took a sip of her hot chocolate and tried to reign in the bitterness that wanted to come out of her mouth. Naruto knew there was a time for her to be bitter and this was not the time to be bitter. "The beast is a really powerful being and I'm the one who can wield him."

The words did not sound bitter to her ears nor furious, which were the exact feelings that stirred inside of her stomach. It had been three years and yet she could not let go of this burning anger inside of her whenever she talked about the beast. It was probably wrong of her to cling to this anger but it suffocated her at times.

She didn't know how to conquer it without telling her therapist at one point.

"When did you become a Jinchuuriki?" Yaoyorozu asked softly. "I know from your conversation that you haven't always known about it."

Naruto put down the cup of hot chocolate and relaxed her head against the table, blue eyes locked onto the concern eyes of her classmate. They came this far when she thought about it, so it would only be right to admit this fact. "I was a baby."

A look of horror washed over Yaoyorozu's face, almost making the blonde quirk her lips into a smile but Naruto couldn't muster a smile. All she could do was stare blankly at the painted yellow walls of the café. Yellow walls were meant to make people happy or so her boss explained when Naruto once asked her why she painted the walls in that colour.

It was probably one of the few times that she actually questioned her boss.

"Is this the same for the other jinchuuriki?"

The whiskered teen shrugged her shoulders and admitted. "I don't know about Kumo but for me and Gaara? That was the case."

Black eyes widened and Naruto only took another sip of her drink. It was wrong of her to spill this piece of information to her classmate but she realized the girl was different from the people of Konoha and Suna. The black-haired girl looked like she wanted to cry when she explained why she didn't like it.

If she hadn't pushed the voice into the back of her head then Naruto wouldn't have told her. If she went with her normal line of thinking then the blonde would think Yaoyorozu was acting, but there was no reason for her to act. Honestly nothing really came to her mind so that was why she told her classmate.

"Gaara-san too?" Yaoyorozu frowned and looked crestfallen at her words. She overheard her conversation with Bakugou, which meant she heard about the common theme of not having it easy as they grew up. The black-haired girl took several sips of her tea but Naruto noticed the tremble in her hands. "He is like you too? Did he also have a difficult childhood?"

Naruto nodded. "His childhood was a lot more difficult than my own childhood but that is all I can say."

That was the end of their conversation but the blonde knew even as they talked about what to bring for their lodge training that the knowledge that Gaara had an even more difficult childhood weighed on the girl's mind.

Naruto guessed it would be a long time before she would find out whether or not she had done the right thing and answered Yaoyorozu's question on Gaara.

* * *

"You rarely come to my office when you have free time, Tomo-chan."

The grey-haired woman kept quiet as her violet eyes focused on her favourite coffee drink. From behind the door, Tomoyo could practically hear Eisuke's sidekicks gossiping about her appearance in the office. Most of them did not know about the fact that she was their boss cousin. The only one who knew was his girlfriend.

She tore her eyes away from her drink and locked eyes with the concern eyes of her cousin. Eisuke leaned forward in his seat with a frown playing on his lips. His eyebrows knitted together into one line, almost looking like one large unibrow. The concern made her heart pounded against her chest as irritated turquoise eyes flashed before her own eyes.

"I think you are right," Tomoyo cleared her throat as Eisuke eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He was going to get wrinkles at this rate if you asked her and the girl exhaled. "We should look for Touya and find out what happened to him after he escaped from his hell."

Eisuke did not say anything. He did not tell her with that loud voice of his that he was right and she was wrong, which brought a small frown on Tomoyo's lips. As little children, her older cousin would have been pleased over the fact that he had been the smarter one between them. But the man only frowned at her.

His green eyes regarded her, looking for some sign on her change of heart and Tomoyo opened her drink. The coffee tin whistled and wheezed before finally dying down. Taking a deep breath, the girl sipped her coffee. The sugar clouded her mind, overwhelming her sense and calmed down her shaky nerves.

"Tomoyo, what made you change your mind?" Eisuke reminded her. He removed himself from his seat and made his way to the fridge, his red cloak dragging behind him. It was a new addition to his usual outfit, Tomoyo realized as she took another sip of her drink. He knelt down and swung open the door. "You stopped me from looking for him."

The grey-haired girl shut her eyes. Anyone else would think her cousin was accusing her of stopping him but Tomoyo knew the man was only stating the fact. A fact that she could never deny and she had a good reason to stop him. It was selfish of her but she wanted her cousin to begin accomplishing his dream.

She did not want to see him waste his whole life chasing after their friend and Tomoyo wanted to believe Touya was stronger then what Eisuke believed. But she forgot that there had always been two sides at war when it came to the red-haired boy. There was the good Touya, who loved so intensely, and then there was the dark Touya who clung to his pain in an unhealthy way.

Inhaling, Tomoyo licked her dried lips. "I saw someone who looked like Touya and acted exactly like him."

Green eyes widened and the woman knew the silent question running through his mind. She should answer the question that went through his mind but the intern only kept quiet. How could she answer the question? No matter how she looked at it, Tomoyo knew her cousin was going to jump to conclusion on her feelings towards their childhood friend.

"Do you _only_ think it was Touya?" Eisuke finally asked. "Do you believe that person can't be Touya?"

The birds chirped and sang such a beautiful melody but it did nothing to calm down the storm of emotions inside of Tomoyo. Her heart pounded against her chest like it wanted to jump away as irritated turquoise eyes. The woman wondered whether to admit her suspicion out loud and knew that Eisuke missed the older boy as much as she did.

She inhaled and traced the logo of the coffee tin. "I think he is Touya."

Eisuke nodded and almost smiled at her declaration but then it faded like he knew that this was not the time for them to be happy. If that scarred man looked like he ate three meals a day and didn't have such horrible scars, then Tomoyo would have been happy when she delivered the news to him.

"You are always certain when it comes to Touya," her cousin commented with a frown playing on his lips. "But you aren't certain that the man that you saw is Touya."

Tomoyo kept quiet as the hero began to pace back and forth, fingers running through his hair. That habit of his told the young woman that her cousin was trying to sort through his thoughts. He occasionally shot a glance at her and at the final glance, the 22-year-old woman understood what her cousin was now demanding from her.

"I'm only doubtful because the guy has black hair and Touya has red hair," Tomoyo admitted. She took another sip of her coffee and poked her tongue against her cheeks. "It could be hair dye but I can't confirm he is Touya since we don't know what happened to him after he escaped from his home. Even if my gut screams that he is Touya, I can't go around accusing him without evidence. It is illogical!"

Even to her own ears, it sounded hysterical. Tomoyo knew she should keep her emotions in check like she always did but Touya was her friend. The first friend she made outside of the clan and the first person she used her Kekkei Genkei on him. A loud sigh came out of Eisuke's mouth, forcing the woman to swirl her head at her cousin. She raised an eyebrow at him.

The red-haired man shrugged. "It is always about logic and reason with you."

"And you always follow your emotions," she grumbled. "How many times have you been nearly sued by some villain because you badly injured them? If it wasn't for our family seals then you would be broke by now."

Eisuke grimaced. "I don't understand why the law has to protect them too. Some of those criminals were trafficking little children and you expect me to keep my temper in check? There are just some villains that deserve a good old punch on the face."

When her older cousin talked like that, Tomoyo could really see the resemblance between Kenji and Eisuke. The male was well-known for being nice, kind and keeping his temper mostly-in-check but it was a whole different story when it came to his work. How many times had he called her to do a quick patch up on his victims? Or tell his girlfriend on how to keep the man under control.

"Why don't you argue with the Hero Safety Commission?" Tomoyo asked, shaking her head. Her blood boiled with irritation as she recalled the punishment that Eisuke and Hawks received for 'allowing' those Iwa Nins escaped. They suspended her cousin's activity and scolded the two of them even though they helped rescue her and the children.

Eisuke grunted. "If I know I will win the fight and I won't be drag by the mud by them in the media then I would do it."

She thinned her lips into a very thin line. The whole hero business was not something Tomoyo knew a lot about, even though Eisuke was her cousin and Fuyumi was one of her best friend. Why would she know a lot about it? Her dream was to be an amazing doctor that would surpass her own mother in the medical field. There was no reason for her to learn a lot about it.

Minutes passed before her cousin returned back to the original topic at hand.

"Tomoyo, if I find out that Touya has a normal job and has a girlfriend then what will you do?" Eisuke asked. He looked at her with careful eyes and the woman felt her eyebrows twitched at what he implied. Did he think she was obsessed? Or some heartbroken little fool? Just because she did not agree to his blind dates, did not mean anything.

She clenched her jaws together and exhaled. "Then I'm happy for him but my gut is telling me that _the impulsive fool_ is going to do something impulsive again! Something tells me that he is going to do something self-destructive again. What do we do if he does something self-destructive?"

Her shoulders trembled as bright, happy turquoise flashed through her eyes. They were soon replaced with irritated turquoise eyes that radiated with so much hatred. Tomoyo knew she could be wrong but when that man looked at her, she recalled how Touya had the same hate whenever he looked at Endeavour. She would never blame him for hating Endeavour nor did she think he was a terrible person for never forgiving the man.

What worried her was that he was going to channel that anger into something self-destructive.

"Then we stop him, Tomoyo," her cousin declared quietly. "If Touya is going to do something stupid then I will bring him to you and you talk some sense into him. Between the two of us, you are the one that could reason with him."

Tomoyo did not smile at those words and prayed to God that she was wrong when it came to the man. She wanted him to be happy and safe, not doing something that would only bring him and his siblings pain. Her hand trembled as Eisuke offered her a warm smile like he did as children.

"I'm going to help you find him."

This wish was not only his to bear after all.

* * *

The Chakra Chains felt heavy against her hands.

Naruto grunted and looked down at the very first chain that she finally managed to make after two whole months of training with Akira. They looked so much like the chains used to anchor ships, except it was slightly larger and had an unnatural silver glow to it. She gave it a strong tug, noting the durability of the chain. Even with such strong pressure, the links did not break or crack.

It was a very strong tool but it was also rather strange too if you asked her. The chains looked like metal but it certainly did not have the same cold feel that a metal would have. Naruto did not know how to describe it except that it felt like what chakra would feel like if it was solid. It was alive, buzzing with chakra and the whiskered teen darted her eyes to Akira.

The elderly woman looked at her with knowing eyes. "It feels strange to know that your chakra made those chains, doesn't it?"

That was a rather large understatement if you asked Naruto. These chains had been moulded from her chakra and that made it a part of her. Would it be right to call it like a piece of her heart? What could these chains do? They could bind people, which was very important for her career when the whiskered teen thought about it.

"It isn't easy for me to move these chains even though they are made from my chakra," Naruto replied. She tossed the chain to the target post, trying and failing to get it to wrap around the wooden post. A scowl played on her lips and the girl knitted her eyebrows together. "And the chain I made seem to be way bigger than the ones that you made."

Akira smiled and ruffled her hair before looking straight at the fallen chains that laid only few centimetres away from the target. Naruto watched as whip-like chains came out of the woman's torso, wrapping itself around the target post. There must have been several chains which was different from the one chain that Naruto barely managed to create.

"It looks different because the chain came from your chakra," the elderly woman tugged on the chain and the target post came flying straight towards them. It sunk a few centimetres away from them and Naruto crawled closer to the target post. "It is unique to you. No two people have the same chakra signature and the same goes for our chains."

The wind caressed Naruto's face as she picked up the chain wrapped around the target post. Unlike her own chakra chain, the blonde could not hear any buzz from it. She could feel how the material of the chain were similar to her own but felt more fiery than her own chain. It burned her hand and the blonde dropped the chain, keeping her face blank as the crash echoed throughout the training ground.

"So every chain will look different?" Naruto asked.

A smile graced Akira's lips and the woman nodded. Despite the fact that the woman must be nearing her 90s, the woman still walked with the strength of a woman in her 50s as she walked closer to the target post. The jinchuuriki wondered if she would still have the same strength as her distant relative if she ever reached her age or if she would be as feeble as some of the elderly women that crossed the streets.

The chains rustled again as Akira untangled the chains from the target post. "Every chain will look different but they all have the same properties. These chains doesn't just bind to your target but it can be used to make a barrier and can bind a person's chakra."

Blue eyes widened at those words before looking down at the huge chain that laid on the ground. Naruto could see a lot of benefits with these chains from pranking to even capturing her own opponents. The chains that she made for the exam hadn't been made from her own chakra and had to be reinforced with seals.

There would be no need for her chains.

"So what is the next step now that I know how to make chains?" Naruto picked up her own chain and flickered her eyes to Akira. The elderly woman hummed and regarded the chain in her hand with careful consideration. The only sound that could be heard were the barks of the neighbourhood dogs and the wails of a few babies.

After a couple of minutes, Akira nodded her head. "We are going to have you practice making these chains until it becomes muscle memory for you."

"Can I use Shadow Clones?" Naruto tilted her head and crossed her legs together as her eyes darted to the chain. That was a solution she thought of using when it came to Senjutsu and Jiraiya told her that it was rather an ingenious idea. Maybe the same solution could be used for the chains, she realized.

The elderly woman sighed. "If it was that easy then I would have told you to use that technique, but for some rather odd reason shadow clones can't make chakra chains."

"So I have to do things the old fashioned way?" Akira nodded and Naruto groaned. It was not like she did not mind doing things the old fashioned way, but muscle memory implied that she would have to do it every minute of the day. She dug her hand against her head and took several deep breaths.

The elderly woman patted Naruto on the back. "I will make it enjoyable for you when you come again, next week."

The blonde paused at the clan elder's words and slumped her shoulders as she realized she never told Akira about her trip. It was not because she didn't want to tell her but because Naruto forgot about it. With so many things happening, the blonde failed to remember to tell the woman that she would be in camp for a whole week.

"I won't be in next week," Naruto looked down at her hands. "There is going to be a training camp for school and it is compulsory that I go."

Naruto waited for Akira to get irritated over the fact that she didn't tell her, but the old woman only nodded. Her violet eyes watched her impassively. The old woman shook her head before looking up at the sky. It was a sunny day with the sun shinning with all of its glory and burning everything in its path. But if the elderly woman felt uncomfortable then she didn't show it.

"Training?" Akira mused. "What kind of training are they going to do when their Kekkei Genkei are different? What do you plan to train on when you get there? Have the teachers told you anything?"

The young girl shook her head. It was a wonder but from her understanding in the Sports Festival, Kekkei Genkei was like any muscle and needed to be trained to make it effective. Until that point, Naruto had been blind at this knowledge. Hinata-chan never told her this and well Sasuke only activated the Sharingan after the Wave Mission.

"I don't know what they will train me on," Naruto admitted. She looked at the floating clouds and sighed. "Maybe taijutsu but I don't think that there is anyone who can really handle my punches at a 100%. Ninjutsu is possible since I can just try to make a new jutsu."

The woman hummed a small tune and stroke her chin. Her violet eyes regarded her with a thoughtful look as if she was trying to figure out a solution to hers dilemma. Those impassive eyes flickered to the chain and it was not long before a smile broke out on the woman's face. Naruto felt her stomach churned with anxiety because that smile did not make her feel at ease.

"I have a suggestion for you and your teachers in Yuuei," the old woman finally said. Naruto blinked and tilted her head as the woman materialized another set of chains. She swung the chain at the bird, wrapping it tightly before bringing it straight to the ground. The bird struggled and let out a little cry as it tried to get out of the chain. Akira regarded her with careful eyes. "Why don't you try to learn how to target moving objects."

The bird let out its final cry as Naruto gawked at the elderly woman.

She had to wonder if the woman forgot that she only just learnt how to make the chains.

* * *

**Author Note**: So the next chapter begins the forest lodge camp. We also see in this chapter Naruto and Yaoyorozu getting closer. Tomoyo and Eisuke working together to find out where Touya is and Akira explaining chains to Naruto. Here are a couple of questions for you:

**Question 1**: What do you think of the whole talk between Momo and Naruto?

**Question 2:** What do you think of all the original characters brought into the series?

Please do tell me of your thoughts of this chapter.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter alongside anyone who added this story to their favourites and follows.**

* * *

_Why must it be so damn hot?_

Naruto curled her lips into a tiny scowl as she leaned closer to Shouto's right side. The coldness from his right side made her shiver but it was better for her to deal with the cold then to deal with the glaring sun's gaze. She darted her eyes to her classmates. All of them had smiles on their faces as they talked about what they were going to do during the camp. Their excitement rolled off in waves but it was not enough to excite her.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Shouto frowned and knitted his eyebrows together into one line as he looked down at her with eyes shining with concern. "Did you spend the whole night training again, Naruto?"

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck but did not move her eyes away from him as she shook her head. The idea of training before a week-long trip had been tempting but she was not _that_ addicted to training. Her boyfriend must have realized it because he frowned. The younger boy tilted his head and his eyes shone with a question that Naruto knew was very easy for her to answer.

"I spent the whole night packing," the blonde patted her backpack and let out a small yawn. "I kept packing and unpacking my bag, trying to figure out what would be a good idea to bring."

From right in front of them, Hagakure twisted her whole body around to look at them. Even though her classmate was invisible, the whiskered teen bet that the invisible girl was staring at her bag pack with disbelief. It was not as big as the bags brought in by her classmates. It was an orange backpack that could be used for hiking, not the one meant for a whole week but the kind of backpack used for weekend hiking.

In her experience as a kunoichi, Naruto learnt that most of the time that half of her stuff wouldn't be used.

"Are you sure you have enough stuff for a whole week of training, Uzumaki?" Disbelief colored the girl's tone and the other members of their class turned around to look at them. Their eyes widened at the backpack and Bakugou raised a single eyebrow at her.

The whiskered teen shrugged and patted her backpack. "Yup. It might not look like it but I'm pretty good with packing for week-long trips."

Everyone nodded and turned their heads away from her. Letting out a small sigh, Naruto rested her head against Shouto's right arm as her blue eyes drank in the sight before her. The various bags were stacked up in a nice pile, no doubt the doing of the robots that were now probably eyeing her with annoyance for not giving her bag to them. While her classmates trusted them, Naruto did not trust the robots.

"Everyone line up!" Aizawa barked from behind them. Naruto twisted her head around and offered a sheepish smile to her teacher, who stared at the dark circles around her eyes with concern. He would be happy to know that it came from packing and not pushing herself to the limit again. She opened her mouth to tell him, only for her boyfriend to begin dragging her to the line-up of students.

Naruto slumped her shoulders as she took her spot between Shouto and her cousin. Her blue eyes darted to her scowling cousin before moving back to Aizawa, who began his lecture by reminding them that they weren't getting any rest during the holidays. The whiskered teen sighed and then frowned as her eyes rested on the empty spot beside her teacher.

Tilting her head to the side, Naruto allowed the frown to deepen as her teacher continued the speech. If Aizawa-sensei was going to come with them on their trip then who was going to take care of Eri-chan? The young girl might have come a long way from her rescuing her but Naruto still did not have complete faith that the girl could be left alone. It would be only her in that small apartment and she knew how easy it was for a person to overthink in that situation.

"You look concern," Shouto commented quietly. The blonde blinked but did not allow her gaze to move away from their teacher, not when the man would realize quickly that neither of them were paying much attention to them.

"I'm worried about Eri-chan," Naruto whispered, flickering her eyes from their teacher to the boy standing right beside her. Her throat dried up as the memory of her very first day with Eri flashed through her mind. The girl had been so worried that she would leave her alone, clinging to her like she had been her lifeline. "If Aizawa-sensei is here then who is going to take care of Eri-chan?"

The mismatch boy frowned and looked absolutely at loss on how to comfort her. He darted his eyes at their classmates, who all seemed to be very much focused on Aizawa-sensei, and then back to her. The knitted eyebrows told the blonde of how her boyfriend was trying to figure out what to tell her. She opened her mouth to reassure him, only to close it when Bakugou grunted.

"Sensei isn't an idiot," the blonde blinked and stole a glance at her cousin. Her fellow blonde scowled and glared at them like he didn't know why the two of them were even discussing the topic. "He probably has Hizashi-sensei watching that munchkin."

Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line. To a certain point, the girl did agree with him. Their teacher was definitely not stupid and was perhaps one of the most observant people that she knew, but the whiskered teen honestly doubt that the man had given such a huge responsibility to their English Teacher. Present Mic did have a terrible habit of giving into Eri-chan's demands for chocolate.

That was the reason why Aizawa-sensei preferred for her to babysit the girl over her other teacher.

"_Yes, sir!"_

The scream of her fellow classmate made Naruto jerk her head as everyone else scrambled away from each other. What happened? Well it did not matter either way when she thought about it. The fact that they uttered those words meant that they were now free to roam around until it was time for them to enter that large bus.

Letting out another small yawn, the whiskered teen stretched her arms. A little moan escaped her lips as she began stretching her body for what could be a very long trip. It felt really good whenever she heard that little crack coming out from her body. The tension would just fade away if you asked her whenever she did such things to her body.

She must have look weird or why else would Midoriya, Bakugou and Shouto stare at her? Her boyfriend and Midoriya looked flushed, almost as if they took a rather long hot bath, while her cousin scowled. He looked at her like he wanted to smack her and that only made the whiskered teen scowled. What the hell was wrong with him?

Before Naruto had the chance to demand what his problem was, Uraraka came charging straight towards them. A bright smile played on the girl's lips and her brown eyes lit up with so much excitement that the scowl on Naruto's face faded. It was rather difficult for her to scowl when someone looked so happy.

"I'm so excited!" Uraraka clapped her hands together and leaned closer to Midoriya. The older boy flushed a deep shade of red and looked almost like a red train with all that steam coming out of his ears. "It seems like only yesterday that we were all talking about the trip and now here we are!"

"Y-Yeah, t-that's right," Midoriya stammered. His green eyes avoided looking at the brown-haired girl while his hands waved around like the boy didn't know what to do with his hands. Naruto allowed a tiny smile to grace her lips as everyone else from their class looked at the two teens with amusement shining through their eyes.

Uraraka frowned and knitted her eyebrows together before leaning even closer to the dark-haired boy. "Is something wrong? You look so red, Deku-kun!"

The smile on Naruto's lips widened as Midoriya swirled his head at her. Those green eyes pleaded for her to help him but the whiskered teen only shrugged her shoulders. What did he want her to do? There was nothing she could do for him and even if he wanted her to drag the girl away, she wouldn't do it. The whole thing was way too entertaining if you asked her.

Shouto tugged on the sleeve of her shirt, forcing her to look away from their two friends. His mismatch eyes flashed with concern at the sight of a flailing Midoriya. Those eyes moved away from their train wreck of a friend before focusing on her. He lowered his head until his lips were only a few centimetres away from her ears. "What is wrong with Midoriya?"

"He is flustered over the fact that there is a cute girl so close to him," Naruto replied with a casual shrug. From beside her, Bakugou grunted and the blonde frowned at the knitted eyebrow that appeared on his forehead. She raised a single eyebrow at the younger boy, who seemed to have understood her silent question.

He sighed. "But you are also cute and he doesn't seem to get flustered when you get close to him."

Naruto felt her cheeks burned up at the compliment coming out of her boyfriend's lips and she placed her hands on her face. Why must her legs wobbled at the compliment? She knew she should get used to the compliments especially from Shouto, but her heart would always race like it was the first time for her to be complimented.

Once she was certain that her heart was not going to come up to her mouth, Naruto finally answered. "He doesn't see me as a girl."

That answer only served to make her boyfriend even more confused because he knitted his eyebrows together. The blonde rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks flushed an even brighter shade of red as her boyfriend fixated his eyes on her chest. She cleared her throat and chose to look the other way.

"You are a girl," Shouto finally said without any emotion in his tone. But Naruto knew if she just turned her head around then the younger boy would be just as red as a cherry tomato. She inhaled and exhaled to calm down her nerves before focusing all of her attention on both Midoriya and Uraraka.

Both teens looked as red as cherries and were definitely not looking each other in the eyes. Naruto was not certain but if she did not know any better, she would believe that Uraraka was starting to develop a crush on Midoriya. She could be wrong because love was still an emotion that Naruto struggled to identify.

If it was not for the fact Shouto unintentionally confessed to her, she would have never known he liked her in that way. When it came to Hinata-chan, Naruto only knew about the crush because the girl confided to her. It probably did not help the fact she was confused on why the Hyuga Heiress reverted back to being the shy little girl that she met whenever Kiba was around.

"_What?_ What's this? There are people in Class A who are taking extra classes?" A maniac voice called out from right in front of them. Naruto felt the smile playing on her lips dropped at the excited tone coming out from Monoma. She inhaled and forced herself to smile tightly as Monoma shoved his hair back. "Does that mean you have people who actually failed their exams? I thought you guys were supposed to be better than us!"

The smiles on Kirishima, Ashido and Kaminari's face dropped at the reminder that they failed and Naruto balled her hands into a fist. Itsuka took a step forward, hand ready to give the boy her usual chop but the whiskered girl shook her head. If anyone was going to put him in his place then it would be her.

She clicked her tongue together and allowed the rage that made her infamous in Konoha to come out.

"Aren't you a little piece of shit?" The chatter died down as the members of her class stared at her in shock. It was rather rare for her to swear right in front of them but Naruto was well-known for having quite the mouth in Konoha. She smiled sweetly and cracked her knuckles together. "You must be proud that your classmates passed their exams better than us but you are the only one who failed. _How does that feel,__** asshole**__!"_

The smile on Monoma's face faded and the maniac glee in his eyes was replaced with irritation. Naruto only offered him a triumphant smirk as her classmates gawked at her. Maybe in these last few months, she had never showed them that she cared a lot about them. She wouldn't even deny the fact that she had been pushing them away in the beginning of the semester, but they grew on her like a pair of plants.

"_If I cut our bond, I will become much stronger."_

Cruel black eyes flashed through her mind again alongside the smirk that played on his lips. That had been the reasons for her decision not to get close to people but the loneliness that Sasuke thought of…it did not make her strong. Naruto stared at her smiling classmates and felt her lips curled into a tiny smile as her eyes fixated on them.

"You really shouldn't have picked a fight with Uzumaki," Setsuna commented, flickering her eyes at Naruto. The girl patted Monoma on the shoulder as Kendou wrapped her hands around the boy's collar. A bright smile played on the green-haired girl's lips and the whiskered teen shrugged. "You are lucky that she didn't punch you for that comment."

Naruto curled her lips into a bright smile as her eyes flickered from her smiling friends from Class B to her classmates and boyfriend, before landing her eyes on Aizawa-sensei. The black-haired man stared at her for the longest time like he did not know what to make out of her smile before shaking his head at her.

_I still believe that our bonds make us stronger._

She would never get better if it weren't for the people around her.

* * *

_He must be tired too._

Naruto ran her hand through Shouto's hair as her classmates chattered with excitement and bounced in their designated seats. Most of them were busy of talking of ways to pass the time until they reached their destination while a few of them were playing games. Very few people noticed the fact that the youngest son of Endeavour was now resting his head on her shoulder.

The only people who seemed to have noticed were Ashido and Hagakure. The two girls kept sneaking glances at them from across the aisle, giggling and whispering something to them. If this had been Konoha then Naruto would think those two would be spreading terrible gossip about her and a tiny part of her believed it. But warm yellow eyes glinted with excitement, telling her that there was nothing cruel in her words.

"Uzumaki-chan, why don't we put our sleeping bags right next to each other?" Uraraka twisted her head around with a wide smile playing on her lips. Her brown eyes blinked at the sight of Shouto sleeping on her shoulder but if the girl found it strange then she made no comment.

The whiskered teen blinked at the request and looked down at her hands. It was rather odd for a girl, who was not Hinata-chan, to make such a request to her. Sakura only slept beside her because it was economical for them, not because she wanted to sleep beside her and get to know her. But Uraraka looked eager to have her in the same room.

A strange warmth tickled into her stomach and the blonde swallowed down the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. Slowly and hesitantly, Naruto nodded and winced as the girl let out a shriek of excitement. If it was not for the fact that Aizawa-sensei would scold them, she was certain her brown-haired classmate would have hugged her.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto finally asked. "So, do we have sleeping arrangement that I'm not aware of?"

From the aisle across her, Yaoyorozu pulled out a booklet from her handbag. The black-haired girl flipped through the booklet, eyebrows knitted together as she scanned through the pages that could have given them the answer to the question. After a couple of minutes, the black-haired girl shook her head.

"From what the booklet tells me, the only sleeping arrangement that is mentioned is the fact that we aren't going to share a room with Class B," Yaoyorozu informed her.

It should be fine with her since Naruto was used to such arrangements, but she felt oddly disappointed with the fact that she wouldn't be also sharing the room with Setsuna and Itsuka. Then again it was the first time that the blonde had a lot of female friends. Temari could be considered but Naruto felt closer to Gaara then his sister. Hinata-chan was her best friend but it felt different. This time Naruto could really feel her heart sinking in disappointment.

It must have shown because Ashido reached forward and patted her leg.

"We still have an opportunity to talk to them Uzumaki!" Ashido reminded her, offering her a grin. "We are going to have so much fun with our dares and our girl talk!"

A sense of dread crept up in her stomach when those cheerful yellow eyes flickered from her to Shouto. Naruto knew the girl had huge plans when it came to her and her boyfriend. It was clear from her mischievous eyes. She should tell the girl that Shouto and her were together but the blonde couldn't bring herself to do it.

Not because of shame but because Naruto didn't want to be the subject of gossip again.

She cleared her throat and looked at Jirou, who sat right beside Yaoyorozu. The girl had her whole body turned around to look them, being so silent when it came to the topic at hand. However what interested the blonde was the pale look on Jirou's face at the mention of the dares. From the front of the bus, Kirishima shot her a look that told her that he didn't want to be in any of the girl's shoes.

"If we are doing our training in the middle of the forest then how will the terrain affect us?" Midoriya mused from the seat behind her. Naruto did not need to turn around to know the boy had that crazed look in his eyes. He sounded like he was knee-deep in his theorizing. "We might have to do rescue training and there is a possibility that we might have to fight in the forest."

Naruto grunted. "I hope not. The trees always hinder my line of sight and it is a pain trying to make sure that I don't fall off from the tree."

The words came out unintentionally. It was supposed to be kept inside of her mind but the way the chatter died down in the bus, alongside the fact that everyone turned around to look at her told her that they heard her thoughts. She rubbed the back of her neck as their eyes glinted with an eagerness that told her that they were now more interested to hear her talk then to discuss of what to do when they got there.

"You know Uzumaki, you sound like you are talking from experience," Kaminari commented from the seat right behind Yaoyorozu. His voice sounded excited and Naruto wondered if she turned around if the boy would be bouncing in his seat. "Did you ever get into a fight in the middle of the forest?"

If you considered fighting bandits during one of their few missions then yes, but Naruto would never told him this. She should have kept her mouth shut because now her mind shot blanks of how to answer him. Lying would be the most logical choice but what kind of lie should she use? Well there was always _that_ lie. It was the truth and well it wouldn't bring too many questions.

"I was born in a village that is in the middle of the forest," Naruto replied. Kaminari and the others blinked at this piece of information while the blonde darted her eyes to the window of the bus. Trees flew passed them alongside a couple of cars. She sighed. "So I know from playing in the forest what might be difficult."

All of them accepted her answer without much question, looking at her like that might be a plausible reason. It should be a good reason because if you played in a forest then you know what could be considered difficult. The only people who did not believe her answer were all the people who knew the truth about her actual occupation.

Midoriya looked at her like he wanted to hear all the possible difficulties while Bakugou scowled at her. His red eyes gleamed with irritation and the whiskered teen forced herself to look away from him. Even though the two of them were now cousins, Naruto still did not know what the boy felt about this revelation.

The fact he scowled could mean he hated the reminder that it had been Konoha, who took her father away from his family, or hated that she was the more experienced one between them.

"So you are going to be at home, won't you?" Sero asked, offering her a smile.

Home. That would be a reasonable thinking but Naruto could only stare blankly as memories crept back up into her mind. The Matron's cruel eyes alongside those _hurtful_ words from Sakura. Ami was there too with the reminder of how she was an ugly little fox while Ino's words about her parents echoed in her ears. Those memories made her heart twist in pain.

"_What a pretty name for a pretty girl."_

"_Hyuga…Hyuga Hinata but you can call me Hinata, Naruto-chan!"_

"_No! You are getting the hand seal wrong, Idiot!"_

Those memories made her stomach flutter and Naruto forced herself to smile at Sero. There had been a lot of bad memories in Konoha but there had been some happy memories. Mikoto-obaachan made the pain inside of her fade away. Hinata-chan stuck through her even when the whole village hated her. Even when members of her own clan warned her.

"I don't wanna hear about Whisker's shitty home!" Bakugou growled. His red eyes flared with irritation and anger and his nostrils flared, which earned frowns from everyone but Midoriya. The green-haired boy only looked at the blond with understanding and the whiskered teen wondered what was the real story behind the growl.

Kirishima frowned and looked almost baffled over Bakugou's anger. His red eyes flashed with an apologetic glint but the whiskered teen shrugged. A part of her wanted to think the teen was upset over the injustice faced by her but Naruto knew better. They might be related but it did not mean he had to concern himself with her.

"Y'know you shouldn't treat your cousin like that, Bakugou!" Kirishima darted his eyes at her before looking back at the scowling boy. "Don't you wanna know more about her home?"

Aizawa twisted his head around and his black eyes fell on Naruto, who kept her expression blank as everyone became quiet at the reminder that the two blonds were cousin. Naruto knew why the man looked at her with surprised eyes. Neither her nor Bakugou thought it would be a good idea for them to tell the man about the revelation.

She really did not understand what the big deal was, after all.

* * *

"_Where's the bathroom? I gotta pee!"_

Naruto watched with blank eyes as Mineta zoomed through the alcove, black eyes looking frantically for a bathroom that was clearly not there. All around her, her classmates stretched and looked out to the rails. All of them released sigh of relief since they had been glued to their seats for a whole hour now.

While her classmates walked closer together, eager to continue on with their conversation from the bus, Naruto made her way towards the rails. She placed both of her hands against the wooden rails, feeling the rough edges of the wood before staring down from the rails. Thich miless of forest and trees stretched out from below them. The leaves were of a lush green that reminded the blonde of the trees back home.

Laughter tickled her ears and for a brief moment Naruto forgot she was on a trip with her classmates. Right now, all she could see was her seven-year-old self trying to hide in the tree hollow from Sasuke and Hinata-chan. That was a game the three of them played often. Sasuke used to grumble that it was a terrible idea for them to play that game.

"_You are just a sore loser because Hinata-chan is amazing at finding me!"_ That had always been her answer whenever Sasuke grumbled over how it was not fair that they played hide-and-seek so often. She curled her lips into a tiny, bitter smile as her heart cried out in pain from the bittersweet memories.

"What are you thinking about?" Shouto asked, snapping the blonde out from her train of memory. Naruto blinked as her boyfriend placed his hands against the rails, mismatch eyes flashing with concern. A small frown played on his lips as those mismatch eyes never strayed from her. The crease on his forehead told her that he was really trying hard to think of what could be on her mind.

She curled her lips into a smile and looked down at the trees. "I was remembering how I used to play hide and seek with Hinata-chan."

Her boyfriend pressed his lips into a thin line but chose not to call her out for the omission of another person in her life. He never did call her out for it when Naruto thought about it. Fear was probably not the reason the boy never called her out. Not once in her memories could she recall the boy's eyes flashing with fear. Maybe the closest Naruto had ever seen Shouto being terrified, had been when he told her not to do anything reckless.

The fact he did not call her out for the omission simply meant he knew that she was not ready to talk about him again. It would just put a damper in his mood. He would probably get upset and misunderstood their relationship like everyone back in Konoha did. The love she felt for Sasuke had been different to the feeling she had for Shouto.

With Sasuke, the two of them would insult each other and compete. There was always that intense desire for her to show him that she was better than him. She wanted him to acknowledge the fact they were equals. But with Shouto, she did not have this intense need to compete or have him to acknowledge her in that way. She never wanted to insult him or say anything to hurt his feelings.

"Where is Class B?" Kirishima asked. Naruto twisted her head around and watched as the boy scanned the alcove for the other class joining them on their trip. They should have been here by now since they departed at the same time and were going to the same location. Except now that the blonde thought about it, they made a different turn in the highway.

She curled her lips into a deep frown as dread began to crept up in her stomach. Her eyes darted to Aizawa-sensei, who did not frown or look even remotely concern by the other class lack of presence, and the dread inside of her stomach intensified. The palms of her hand began to sweat as her mind came up with a possibility.

The fact that Aizawa was not one bit concern told her that the male knew where they were and that this simple stop might not be a simple stop at all.

"Can this place even be considered a rest stop?" Sero asked, putting his hand on top of his forehead. He squinted his eyes and a small frown played on his lips. "I don't see anything but trees."

Naruto placed her fingers together and channelled chakra to her eyes, hoping to increase her line of sight. There was nothing but lush green trees alongside a small river to the side of the mountain. She could make out a little building but it was too faint for her to determine what that building could be. The blonde dispelled the chakra and pressed her lips into a frown.

"You are right and I think that the actual rest stop is right there," Naruto pointed to the foot of the mountain. That building could either be a place where people could buy souvenirs or it was nothing really important. Either way, it felt like it would have made more sense for everyone if they had stopped over there to rest.

She darted her eyes to the car that was conveniently parked right next to them. Even though the glass was tinted, the whiskered teen could make out three figures. It seemed like they could be here for a family trip because there was a tiny figure on the backseat. That tiny figure could either be a kid or a really short person.

But the fact that they stopped here and did not come out of the car could mean a lot of things. None of which made that dread inside of her stomach fade. If anything, Naruto could feel her whole body sweating as a possibility crept up to her mind. The man wouldn't do this to them, would he? Except Aizawa-sensei could be tough when needed.

He could be cruel enough to start their training even before they got to their destination.

"There is no point stopping here without reason," Aizawa informed them. His tone carried no emotion and his hands were inside the pocket of his pants but the lack of emotions in his eyes made her heart stop. Those words topped with those kind of eyes meant that her line of thinking could be right.

She gulped down the lump and looked at her classmates. Every single one of them began to sweat but their eyes mirrored the exact feeling creeping up in her stomach. Denial. They were all in denial of what could be happening. The only person, who did not look like he was in denial was Mineta.

No, her classmate kept squirming and running around the alcove in a desperate attempt to find his non-existent toilet.

At that moment, the doors of the neighbouring clicked opened and Naruto watched with horror as bright, fur lined boots hit the ground in succession. It was not that the blonde had anything against fur, not when they could keep a person warm but the fact that there were two women wearing a costume that looked very similar to cats made her want to run.

It brought back memories of when her team had that mission with those stupid cats. Her lips twitched as she recalled how Sasuke trembled and looked at those white cat ears with horror. If it wasn't for the fact she goaded him then the bastard would never wear those cat ears. Sakura thought praising him would have gotten him to wear the ears.

"Oi Whiskers, pay attention!" Bakugou hissed in her left ear. Naruto blinked and raised a single eyebrow, only for her cousin to growl and turned her to look at the two ladies who were now in poses. What the hell just happened? And why were they beaming at them like that? Also, did they not feel ridiculous posing with their hands together?

She flickered her eyes to her cousin. "Who the hell are these people?"

"Why the hell should I tell someone who has the attention span of a toddler?" Naruto kept quiet and raised a single eyebrow at the 16-year-old boy. Her classmate growled and folded his arms together. "They are the wild, wild Pussycats."

Naruto nodded and looked at them with a frown playing on her lips. "Do hero teams do something as silly as posing? Cuz I ain't doing that shit."

"It isn't normal," Shouto reassured her from her left side. His own mismatch eyes looked like he didn't know what to make of the fact that there were two ladies in their thirties, who were making cutesy poses. They were pretty ladies especially the woman with brownish-red hair but they were way too old to do these kind of stunts if you asked Naruto.

Bobbing her head, the whiskered teen shifted her attention on the only person in the alcove that did not fit with the group. He looked young and if she had to guess his age range then Naruto would put him around the same age as Eri-chan. Except his eyes did not hold the same childish glint of wonder like her little sister-figure had.

"_Hero? You sure sound stupid! There is no such thing as a hero!"_

Her eyes faded as furious black eyes flashed before her. Gato took away Inari's step-father and made him believe that anyone who tried to be a hero was a fool. She inhaled and exhaled, forcing a smile to play on her lips as that little boy directed his gaze at her. Anger radiated from his eyes but the emotion that made her take a step back had been an emotion that Naruto knew all too well growing up in Konoha.

Hatred radiated from his eyes and Naruto felt the acid in her stomach crept up.

"This whole area belongs to us," the red-suited woman informed them, pointing one clawed finger towards the base of the mountain that stood far off into the forest. "All of you will be staying at the foot of that mountain."

The words hung in the air as everyone processed what the woman informed them. Naruto kept flickering her eyes at her classmates, who all began to pale as if realizing what the implication could be. Not a single one of them was stupid enough not to have heard what the hidden message behind her words but they still wanted to vocalize their suspicions.

"Why did we stop here if our lodge is right over there?" Uraraka asked, robotically turning her head to Asui.

Asui placed her finger against her chin and gulped. "Could this mean—"

"—That they want us to get there by foot? Sounds like it," Naruto commented.

The whole class grew quiet and swirled their heads at their teacher and the heroes. Aizawa-sensei showed no expression but the whiskered teen bet the man was pleased at the fact that they quickly figure things out. The two female heroes smirked and no mercy shone through their eyes, telling the blonde that they weren't going to make things easy for them.

In the words of Nara Shikamaru, they were now in a troublesome situation.

"We should run back to the bus!" Kirishima ordered.

With a sigh, Naruto strolled right back to the rails and put one foot on the rail while most of her classmates screamed and dashed straight to the bus. She knew she should follow them but it was a pointless endeavour if you asked her. Aizawa-sensei was not the type of teacher who would allow his students to run and that maniac glint in the other female heroes eyes told her that they wouldn't let them escape anyway.

The blonde took a deep breath and looked down at the rails. If they were actually going to do this then she would rather do it on her terms. No one was going to make her jump off a cliff if she had any say on it. Oh no. No one could force her to do something that she was quite willing to do and taking this jump meant that she did things on her terms.

"You aren't going to try and run?" Shouto asked, turning his body around to follow the others. Naruto twisted her head away from the rails and looked at the tilted head of her boyfriend. Amusement crept up to her lips and the whiskered teen allowed a smile to grace her lips as she gave him one simple reason.

"Do you really believe Aizawa-sensei is going to let us run?"

Shouto sighed and twisted his whole body towards her, telling her that her boyfriend knew the answer the question was a big, fat no. He followed right behind her and the whiskered teen held her hand out to him. If they were going to jump then she would rather hold his hand or have him make a slide.

Either way, she would rather not see him get hurt.

"By the way, Kitties who don't make it by 12:30 won't get any lunch!"

Well now that definitely solidified her desire to get this whole thing over and done with.

* * *

**Author Note:** So the Forest Training Camp Arc has officially started. Please do let me know of your thoughts on this chapter and if there is anything that you think that could be improved in this story.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter**

* * *

"Naruto, can you please get off of me?"

The muffled voice of Shouto brought a tiny frown on Naruto's face as she rubbed her head. The last thing she recalled before jumping off of the rails was a huge mud slide and her boyfriend's panic eyes. It was not like this was the most unexpected thing to happen to her but it was rather disturbing for her not to see this would happen.

A sharp pain erupted from her thigh and the blonde blinked as she looked down. Blue eyes widened at the sight of a rather familiar muscular body, whose legs and arms were sprawled like he was making a snow angel. The blonde knitted her eyebrows together and closer attention, Naruto finally heard the sound of the boy's labored breath. Her peach colored cheeks turned a bright shade of red at the knowledge that the boy's was right underneath her.

"S-Sorry!" Naruto scrambled off of the boy and held her hand out to him, not once making eye contact with him. Warm hands grabbed her own and Shouto pulled himself up. Once the blonde was certain her heart was not going to die from a heart attack, she looked back at him. Red was the colour painted on the boy's cheeks as a few droplet of blood tickled out of his nose, hitting the ground.

Shouto rubbed his nose. "It's not a problem."

"Your nose is bleeding!" Naruto pointed out as her hand reached out to rub the tickle of nose blood. Her voice sounded so high-pitch that it would not surprise her if the animals could have heard her. Was this her fault? Maybe she shouldn't have mocked Sakura and Ino whenever they did their diets. Dear god, she was so heavy that she broke his nose!

The mismatched boy frowned and rubbed the dirt off from his clothes. "Not your fault."

She raised a single eyebrow when the boy did not meet her eyes. His cheeks only burned a brighter shade of red, only making the blonde even more curious to know the cause of his blush. It was not like him to show this level of embarrassment but his eyes were not meeting her and that tickle of blood reminded her of…

Oh god!

"Y-You saw," Naruto muttered, trying to keep the embarrassment from leaking out of her voice. Her cheeks felt scotching hot at the knowledge that the boy had taken a peek at her underwear. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to slow down the thunderous traitor that she had to call her heart.

Groans erupted all around them, reminding the blonde that it was not just the two of them here. One by one, the members of Class A began to push themselves up from the ground. A few of them stumbled but quickly managed to regain their bearing while others glared at the cliff. Looming over them was Aizawa-sensei and the two females heroes.

"Since this is private land, you can use your Quirks as you wish," one of the female heroes yelled. "You have three hours! Come to the facility on your own two feet after getting through…the Beast's Forest."

Naruto pressed her lips into a very thin line and looked to the forest at question. Hundred of trees lined up in front of them, each one taller and larger than the tree in front of them. The thick vines decorated the trees alongside the dark shadows loomed over the forest did not give the image of a peaceful forest. If anything it looked a little bit threatening but not as threatening as the forest used in her Chunin Exams.

Nothing could ever be more terrifying then the Forest of Death if you asked her.

"The Beast's Forest?" Midoriya muttered.

The students of Class A gulped and paled, looking as white as a ghost. They did not cry or whimper and Naruto only stared at her classmates. She could not mirror their feelings even if she wanted to. No fear crept up in her stomach after all. Nothing really came to her mind at the mention of the name bestowed on the forest before them.

After a few seconds, the girl finally found the words to break the terror-filled silence between them.

"Well it sounds less terrifying," Naruto said lightly, shoving her hands into her skirt pocket. "It could be worse. I mean the forest could be called the Forest of Death."

Kirishima swirled his head and stammered. "A-Are you trying to make a joke right now? Because this isn't the time for you to be joking around!"

Her classmates nodded their heads in agreement and the whiskered teen only shrugged her shoulders. She began to scan the forest. Nothing looked out of the oridinary. The trees did not move around nor could she make out any beasts. There was not a single sound uttered in the forest except for the occasional squeak from some squirrel that was far away from them.

A blur of a rounded purple shot past her and Naruto raised a single eyebrow. Mineta zipped past all of them, not looking one bit like he was willing to wait for them to discuss things, and dashed straight towards the first massive tree that loomed over them. "Bathroom, bathroom—bathroom!"

"I didn't know that he could run this fast for anything wasn't a pair of boobs and ass," Naruto commented. The boys choked at her choice of words while the female members of Class A bobbed their heads in agreement.

The ground rumbled at that moment, shaking everyone on their feet like they were in the middle of a bounce castle. It was soon followed by a rumbling roar that pierced through the air. Naruto kept her expression completely blank as a beast crept out of the forest. Its heavy massive claw dug into the dirt and its jaws began to part. The sight of the beast's teeth made Naruto knit her eyebrows.

She might be imagining things but the teeth looked like a bunch of sharp rocks.

The beast raised its paw and Mineta froze. The scrunched up expression on his face faded as his piss coated his pants, making a huge stain on the crotch of his pants. Naruto closed her eyes and channeled her chakra to her legs before dashing straight to the beast, as a green blur zipped right past her.

She curled her hands into a fist, pushing it backwards like an archer bow before swinging her fist towards the beast. Its cries pierced through the air. Its body crumbled until it was nothing but dirt on the ground. Naruto looked down at her fist, inspecting the dirt that coated her fist before looking back at her wide-eyed classmates.

Midoriya cradled Mineta and his eyes were fixated on the dirt that had just been the beast.

"I-It was rocks," Kouda stammered.

Naruto nodded and rubbed the dirt against her pristine white shirt. She knelt down to the ground, fixating her eyes against the dirt as her mind tried to think of what just happened. Another rumbled followed by a quick roar echoed in the air. The whiskered teen picked up the broken rock that had been apart of the beast and bobbed her head at the realization of what was to come.

"If these are rocks then it is safe to say that they are being manipulated," she picked up the broken rock and threw it against the tree. Groans came out of the students and Naruto pushed herself back into standing position. She caught sight of their annoyance but it was Midoriya's reaction that made her pause. His eyes burned with curiosity, a little bit of excitement and weariness.

A frown played on Midoriya's lips. "You think that we are going to be attacked by the same beast?"

The blonde bobbed her head as more beast began to crept out of the forest.

"I don't think we will be able to reach there by our designated time limit if they are going to send these things after us!"

* * *

The sight of their temporary lodge made Shouto relax his shoulders. It had been five hours since they began their journey and only now they reached the cabin. He flickered his eyes to his classmates. Dirt covered their clothes and scratches decorated their arms and legs. Even though they had the help of Naruto's clones, it had not been enough to deal with those beasts.

He sighed and regarded the whiskered teen beside him. Out of everyone in their class, Naruto looked the least exhausted and she had done the most work. The beasts kept charging at his girlfriend, trying to slow her down but the blonde kept swinging her fist and using her clones to stop them. Even when the beasts weren't charging towards her, the girl sent clones to help out everyone.

"Well you guys took your sweet time," Pixie Bob called out. The blond-haired heroine had a bright, eager smile playing on her lips but it did not escape Shouto's eyes that the woman was covered with sweat. The pro-hero trembled and looked almost as exhausted as them. Then again if Naruto and Midoriya were right then it meant this was the heroine who slowed them down.

"You guys came three hours earlier than expected," Mandalay added, quirking her lips into a smile. The heroine tapped her finger against her chin while his classmates glared at the woman for the reminder. "We expected all of you to reach here by the time that the sun set down."

His classmates groaned and looked at the woman with eyes wide with disbelief before promptly crashing down to the ground. Some of the students clutched their stomach or in the case of Uraraka, her mouth. A few like Midoriya and Bakugou clutched their arms and legs. Shouto flexed his fingers and flickered his eyes to the slight ice coating on his right arm.

"I'm going to starve to death!" Sero grumbled, clutching his stomach. The other students nodded as their stomachs erupted with growls that pierced through the air. None of the adults smiled nor offered them a smile of an apology, only chuckling or laughing in the case of Pixie Bob. Aizawa raised an eyebrow. Sero scowled. "Even with Uzumaki's clones and super strength, we couldn't get rid of those beast fast enough!"

Naruto grunted and wiped the sweat off of her forehead, lips curled into a scowl. She threw a glare at Pixie Bob before directing the glare at Aizawa, who did not look put off by the girl's glare. He only nodded but Shouto could almost see the faint amusement shinning through their teacher's eyes.

Shouto had to give the man some credit because Naruto's glares could be terrifying at times. Other times, they were nice or maybe he believed that because he liked it when her eyes darkened to a shade of a deep blue. The kind of blue that would remind him of oceans during a heavy storm. It was quite easy for him to get lost in her eyes.

"You look like the least injured person here," Mandalay said to Naruto with a tiny smile playing on her lips. Her eyes focused on the 15-year-old girl as everyone turned to look at Naruto. The blonde had no scratches on her face or any part of her body. No bruises either. The only sign of her hard work was the dirt that covered her uniform and the sweat pouring out of her body.

"My Quirk allows me to heal quickly as well," Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and let out a small groan as a clear _pop_ echoed in the air. Her blue eyes darted to their classmates before rounding back to the impressed heroine. "And it isn't like this is my first rodeo."

The last part was as loud as a whisper but Shouto heard it loud enough. None of their classmates seemed to have heard his girlfriend's last comment or they would not have looked with the girl with envy for having an ability that allowed her to heal quickly. The whiskered teen sighed and rubbed her shoulders.

Kirishima looked up from his seat on the ground and fixated his red eyes on Naruto. "Thanks Naruto for clearing the way for us! I know that you could have left us and get here without troubling yourself with us! We wouldn't have been able to get here without you!"

Shouto nodded and regarded the quiet blonde. His girlfriend quirked her lips into a tiny smile but her bright blue eyes lit up with surprise and it was not long before she rubbed the back of her neck. Naruto looked away from the beaming Kirishima, focusing her eyes on him. He smiled slightly at the sight of pink lips wobbling at the gratitude being directed at her.

"I couldn't just let you guys deal with those beasts by yourselves," Naruto inhaled and twisted her head around to give their classmates a wide smile. "I'm not a heartless person who would abandon her classmates because I'm starving."

Everyone smiled widely and Shouto only patted her shoulders as his mismatch eyes focused on Naruto. The girl might have been smiling but he knew the whiskered teen struggled when people expressed gratitude. The wobble on her lips alongside the fake smile playing on her lips meant that the girl was trying to cover up her emotions to them.

"You really had me going the extra mile with my Quirk," Pixie Bob giggled. "I thought I wouldn't have to make more beasts than I can handle but you kids are a terrific batch of kids. Oh yeah, you guys are great but especially you five!"

Pixie Bob pointed her gloved hands to them. Her blue eyes flickered from Naruto before moving onto Bakugou, Midoriya, Iida and then finally landing on them. Shouto felt his stomach turned at the hunger shining through her eyes and inched closer to Naruto. His girlfriend pressed her lips into a thin line and her eyebrows twitched.

"All five of you didn't lack hesitance when it came to attacking my beast," Pixie Bob licked her lips. "I take it that it came from the experience that you have acquired?"

Silence hung in the air as Shouto stared at the eager heroine in front of him. He knitted his eyebrows together, mismatch eyes focused on the tensed girl beside him. Was it obvious that they all gained experience in some way? Could the heroine tell that his girlfriend was probably the most experienced one between them? The blond-haired woman smiled even wider.

Pixie Bob licked her lips and before he could even blink, the woman launched herself at them. "I'm looking forward to where you five will be in three years_! I call dibs_!"

"Why the hell is she including me with you four!" Naruto grumbled, raising her arms up as Pixie Bob scratched them. The woman hissed while the blonde narrowed her eyes at the woman. "If I knew I was going to be attacked by an old—"

Blue eyes glinted dangerous and Shouto lowered the temperature, ready to make the woman slip and fall down. He stopped lowering the temperature when Naruto shook her head at him, grabbing his wrist. No words were spoken between them as blue eyes darted to the forst covering his jaw and hands. He knew of what the girl requested him not to do and Shouto exhaled.

Pixie Bob lurched past him and slapped her paw over Naruto's lips. "Do you wish to finish that sentence."

"By a young lady," Naruto finished lamely. The blond-haired heroine smiled widely and withdrew her gloved hand away from Naruto's face. His girlfriend relaxed her shoulders before leaning it against his own shoulder. Why must she insist that he shouldn't use his Quirk? The frost might burned his own hand but it was not like this would have been the first time he overused his Quirk.

"You should have let me stop her," he whispered into her ear, lips pressed into a thin line. Shouto darted his eyes to their classmates, who still gawked at them or rather at Naruto. Blue eyes darted at Aizawa before rounding back at him.

The whiskered teen focused her attention on the ice decorating his arms. "You already overused your Quirk while fighting those beasts. Besides, I doubt the woman was going to actually hurt me."

"She looked like she wanted to murder you for daring to point out her age," Shouto observed, mismatch eyes focused on Pixie Bob. The woman now seemed to have decided that she was done marking them because she returned back to her original position beside Mandalay. "You are already exhausted from your use of clones and fighting those beast. You don't need the added attack from her."

The whiskered teen quirked her lips into a smile. "I might be exhausted but it isn't like I'm the worst one off. If I actually overdone it with my Chakra then I would have collapsed by now. If anyone look like they have overdone it then it is you. You look like you are going to become one half of an ice sculpture."

Her voice was low and quiet but Shouto saw the concern in her eyes as they locked onto the frost covering his arm and face. He probably did look like a sight to her. But it had been a good idea at the time for him to use his right side over his left. If the mere sight of frost worried her then how would she have reacted to burn scars? He darted his eyes at the trembling girl beside him.

She probably would have been more worried sick and that made his stomach churn.

"If you don't mind me asking but whose child is that?" Midoriya cleared his throat and pointed to the boy who had been accompanying the two heroines. Mismatch eyes flashed with curiosity as the boy glowered at them. He tilted his head to the right and knitted his eyebrows together into one thin line.

Naruto leaned closer to him and Shouto darted his eyes to the whiskered teen. At first glance, it looked like his girlfriend was indifferent to the boy but he spent a long time observing the girl to know when she was sympathetic. Her blue eyes looked slightly softer, no longer looking like hard gems but more like the open sky above them. Her shoulders trembled too like it always did whenever she watched some sad movie.

He flickered his eyes at their classmates, who seemed more focused on the little boy, before poking the girl on the rib. Naruto swirled her head and Shouto looked down at her. "Are you okay, Naruto? You look really sad."

"He has the same eyes as me," Naruto commented.

Shouto nodded and looked to the boy glaring at them. Black eyes radiated with anger, hatred alongside an emotion that the mismatch boy came to identify with Naruto. It was an emotion he knew well too despite the fact he had three siblings. Loneliness shone through his eyes. What did the boy went through? Definitely something terrible because emotion like those, did not come from an easy life. He darted his eyes back to Naruto.

His eyes softened when he saw the hidden sadness in her eyes.

"Him?" Mandalay offered a calm smile as she gestured to the scowling kid. "He is not one of ours if that is what you are wondering. He is my cousin's kid. Come on, Kouta. Greet everyone! You are going to be with them for a week."

The boy scowled deepened at the reminder and he lowered his hat. Shadows fell underneath his face, not allowing Shouto to figure out what was going through the kid's head. He darted his eyes to Naruto. The girl only had a small frown decorating her lips as her eyes inspected the boy. The tiny nod in her movement made him think that she knew what was the boy's behaviour.

"Oh, um, hi! I'm Midoriya from Yuuei High School's hero course," Midoriya knelt down and offered the little boy a hand. "Nice to meet you."

The wind swished behind him and everyone blinked when Naruto pulled Midoriya out of the way. Her hand caught the tiny fist of Kouta and everyone just stared at the blonde. Annoyance shone through her blue eyes as the little boy gawked at the girl, who ran in the blink of an eye. Mumbles broke out between the students as they gazed at the girl, who had been keeping them together.

"Aren't you a little _brat_?" Naruto narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line as Kouta glared at her. "Did your cousin tell you that it is okay to hit guests? Because last time I check, only _rude, disrespectful brats_ do these kind of things."

Everyone kept quiet as Kouta and the other heroes gawked at Naruto. The whiskered teen pushed the hand away, clicked her heels together and began walking away. From right behind her, the little boy glared at the blond-haired girl while Mandalay eyed her nephew. "Y'know if you wanna glare at me, go ahead because I ain't going to give a shit!"

"I thought heroes are meant to give a shit!" Kouta retorted. His eyebrows raised up to his hairline as he gawked at the blond-haired girl. Iida took a step forward, red eyes lit up with disappointment and anger but Shouto pulled the boy back. The girl was already trembling from rage. If the boy made any comment then Naruto would snap since her eyes did not look like she was ready for a round of scolding from the boy.

The blonde paused and swirled her head at him. "And let me ask you this? How the hell am I supposed to give a shit when you glare at me? You think I'm going to let a little brat like you walk all over me. I ain't stupid and you tried to hit my classmate. If you have a fucking problem with heroes then I don't give a shit. _But don't __**ever **__hit someone when they are being nice to you!_"

Aizawa pressed his lips into a thin line and took a step forward. "Uzumaki—"

"—Mind your language and remember that you are talking to a kid," Naruto chanted as if she had been told a thousand time. Aizawa frowned and regarded the blonde but his girlfriend only cleared her throat and looked away from the man. "I will think about what I did while I go unpack my bag."

Silence hung over them like a heavy blanket as the students watched the girl stormed off into the lodge. Most of the boys knitted their eyebrows while the girl exchanged glances, unsure of what just happened. Shouto only stared at the trembling back that belonged to Naruto. There was a time for them to talk and that anger in her eyes told him that she was not in the mood to talk about what just happened.

"I have never seen Uzumaki-chan this angry before," Uraraka commented. She darted her eyes to Midoriya and then flickered to Bakugou. "Has Uzumaki-chan ever been this angry? She is always so calm and collected like nothing can ever bother her."

No one could answer that question.

* * *

_I have seen a lot of brats in my life but that little piece of shit took the medal of being the most disrespectful kid I have ever seen!_

Naruto clenched her jaw together and slammed her shirt on the ground. Sunlight tickled down from the window, highlighting the fact the room was bare. She unrolled her sleeping bag, pushing it right close to the window. The groans and screams that pierced through the air announced the arrival of Class B, who were probably two hours late compared to them.

There was a knock to the door and Naruto paused. Taking a deep breath, the whiskered teen channeled chakra to her ears. The light breathing hinted it was neither Bakugou nor Midoriya. Both teens always breathed like they drank a whole bottle of coffee. Shouto was possible but he knew better than to talk to her when all she wanted to do was punch a wall. She tightened her grip on her orange shirt.

"Uzuamki, it's me," Aizawa called out.

Naruto inhaled. "Come in."

The door slid opened and the whiskered teen turned her head around to stare at her teacher. Black eyes flashed with concern, making the whiskered teen paused at the emotion. Right the teacher cared about her. He was not the type of teacher or hero who could ignore when someone was furious. She sighed. Aizawa was a good man who wouldn't leave her alone in an empty room to calm down.

Aizawa locked eyes with her, lips pressed into a very thin line. "Do you want to tell me what was going through your head?"

"And what makes you think something was going through my head?" Naruto retorted. She pulled out her spare snack from her back pack, tore open the packet and began munching down the sweet. The loud munches bounced off the walls as the girl pressed her lips into a very thin line.

The man sighed. "I knew something was on your mind when you figured out what the boy planned to do to Midoriya."

Birds chirped and the chatter of Class B echoed in the quiet room as Naruto gazed at the man. So what if she figured things out? Anyone would have seen it coming when they saw that hate and how his hand curled into a fist. The blonde scowled. Midoriya had been trying to be nice to the kid and he tried to shove that kindness to his face.

"I fought through 200 beasts," Naruto leaned her back backwards and slid both hands behind her shoulder. "It could be exhaustion talking, Aizawa-sensei. Y'know people say stuff when they are exhausted."

Aizawa pressed his lips into a thin line and knelt down till they were both at eye level. Black eyes scanned her as if he was trying to figure out what was going through her mind. There was no judgment in his eyes or accusation in his eyes. Only kindness and exhaustion flashed through his eyes. Then again it felt like nothing she ever did would make the man hate her.

"Uzumaki, I have seen you when you are _very_ e_xhausted_," Aizawa exhaled and placed his hand on top of her shoulder. "You never behave this way when it comes to Eri-chan or even to the children of your customers."

Naruto pressed her hands against her forehead, only to jerk her hand away at the realization that her headband was no longer plastered on her forehead. She gazed at the black-haired man. The curiosity made her stomach curled with guilt but she shoved it away. Maybe there could have been a better way but he wanted to punch Midoriya.

Midoriya, who did not have a mean bone in his bone and the same Midoriya who liked helping people. He did not deserved to get punch in the gut and just remembering what could have happened, made her want to smash her hand against the wall.

"They are different," she pulled out her pants and looked out at the window, blue eyes hardened. "Especially Eri-chan."

Aizawa thinned his lips and nodded. "What is the difference for you, Uzumaki? Eri-chan and Kouta are both children."

Naruto slumped her shoulders and stared at the concern, curious of her teacher. Her throat tightened at the knowledge that he was actually trying to understand what went through her mind. Would he actually be able to empathize with her? Did he really want to know why she treated them differently? Of course he did because the teacher never abandoned her.

He gave her a second chance when anyone else would have labelled her a monster.

"Eri-chan doesn't act like a little piece of shit," she cleared her throat and looked down at her hands. "She looks at you and you can just tell that she is just happy to have you in her life. That little piece of shit—"

"—We don't call children little piece of shit," Aizawa reprimanded her.

Naruto wrinkled her nose. "Fine, _Kouta_ acts like the world revolves around him and that he is the only one with a tough life."

_Stop moping!_

_You think people give a crap that you lost your parents? You think the other kids give a shit! They don't care. You aren't the first orphan!_

She clenched her jaws. That little piece of shit reminded her of her own crappy behaviour and he really had to remind her of how stupid she was to believe that a fellow orphan could understand her pain. Naruto took in a deep breath, clenched her hands into a fist as her eyes looked out to the window. A hero should never say those words. A good person should never make that kind of comment.

But as someone who had been an orphan from the moment she had been born, Naruto could never understand people who just took out their anger on someone else. Her throat tightened as lifeless eyes flashed through her mind alongside a pair of mismatch eyes. People went through crap even when they had parents. Naruto nodded her head. It did not give a person any right to take it out on an innocent people.

"Do you know why he acts like that?" Aizawa gave her a knowing look and the whiskered teen clenched her jaws together. "I know out of all the students in this lodge that you figured him out quickly. Other then Midoriya, you are very attune with children."

Naruto eyed him. "He might be an orphan but it doesn't mean we have a right to act little shit. People will blame us for the fact that we don't have parents to teach us right from wrong. That sympathy card? It works for people who never lost their parents but it means shit when you already experienced the pain."

Aizawa held his hand out and patted her back. His eyes did not look at her like he was disappointed by her explanation or that he felt pity for her strange views. Kakashi-sensei was similar except he never talked to her of her actions towards Inari. Then again, he always seemed to understand the real meaning behind her words alongside Sasuke. She guessed it was because he was a Jounin.

"But it is still pain," her teacher reminded her quietly. "The pain you experienced is different from the pain he experienced, but the hurt that you have should be something that you should be able to connect with him."

The blonde stared at the warm black eyes of her teacher. Was the hurt the same thing? Irritated black eyes flashed before her and her throat tightened again. Their pain and hurt should be similar but it didn't make it the same. Naruto inhaled and closed her eyes. Just because the pain was still pain, it did not mean that connected people.

The way she got through people was make some big speech and punch them, but that did not always work.

"I know of pain but it doesn't mean I can understand it," Naruto commented quietly. "You can't understand something that you never had. If I tell him my life story then that little shitty kid would tell me that my pain wasn't born from the destruction of a family that I knew. Maybe he will tell me that it is better that I have never known my parents and lose them, then to have known them and lose them."

Aizawa looked at her for the longest time before taking a seat right beside her. His eyes never looked at her, only focusing on the single cloud floating in the sky. The heavenly scent of food tickled her nostrils and her stomach rumbled like a bunch if elephants charging through the field. Naruto glared at her stomach and her teacher looked at her.

"That pain is still as painful as the pain of having known your parents," he commented. "It is a different kind of pain but like I told you, Uzumaki. That pain still makes you feel just as alone as those children."

Naruto kept quiet as cruel black eyes flashed before her eyes.

"I'm not going to apologize for my words," her eyes hardened and the girl exhaled. "He needs to hear it."

The Underground Hero sighed and lightly chopped her forehead. Naruto rubbed her head despite the fact she did not feel a light sting on her head. Curling her lips into a frown, the girl looked up at her teacher. His black eyes showed no emotions and the lack of scowl made her frown. A sigh escaped from the man's lips and he finally said:

"Just take this in mind when you deal with him, Uzumaki."

That was something that she could do.

* * *

**(Konoha)**

"_You want to take some time off?"_

Hinata nodded and smoothed the wrinkles in her lavender hoodie. Honey brown eyes inspected her before flickering down at the request form on the table. The morning sunshine peaked through the window while the birds sang a high-pitch song. In the corner of the room stood Shizune, who offered her a warm smile.

"I know I request in a such bad time," she tried to keep her tone calm as Tsunade pressed her lips into a thin line. "With the amount of money that have been lost due to the Uzumaki Clan requests but I want to check up on Naruto."

Tsunade pressed her lips into a thin line and opened the bottle of sake. The middle-aged woman poured the drink into her sake glass before taking a huge sip of her drink. Shizune stared at her with wide eyes alongside the understanding in her eyes. The woman probably understood the best of what brought out her worry. The woman had been the one to calm her down when Naruto didn't respond to her.

The Fifth Hokage pushed herself off of the chair and walked towards the corner of the room. There were several drawers labelled from A-Z and the woman pulled out the file from middle of the shelves. Tsunade tucked the file under her arm pit before returning back to her seat. She dropped back to her seat and flipped through the file.

Even though Hinata stood right in front of Tsunade, the only thing she could really see was her photo. Her heart thundered against her chest and the blue-haired girl inhaled and exhaled. If Naruto-chan was here then she would make some joke to calm her down, except her best friend was not here any more. Her arms stopped trembling when the woman dropped the file.

"You and your team have been doing non-stop missions since the three of you became Chunin," Tsunade observed. She pressed her finger against the file and looked back at her with thoughtful eyes. "If you had come to me a few months ago then the request would be easy for me to grant. But Konoha's economy is now in a real-time low as I'm sure that your father had told you."

The blue-haired girl nodded. "Yes, the Uzumaki Clan had made_ reasonable_ request even if some of the merchant families disagreed with the taxes that have been imposed on."

The Fifth Hokage grunted and rubbed the side of her head while Hinata tried to hold back a smile from breaking off on her face. It was not in her nature to take delight of people's suffering but after witnessing Naruto break down…well it felt good to watch the merchants suffer. A few of her fellow yearmates felt pity towards them but Hinata wondered where that pity went when the whiskered teen crashed.

Where was that sympathy when Naruto had to endure Ami taunting her about her appearance? Or when a few of the civilian girls insuiated that Naruto was nothing but an idiot? That the girl was nothing but a lazy idiot. Hinata clenched her jaws together and exhaled. If Naruto-chan was here then she would tell her to calm down.

_They are just jealous that they can't be as awesome as me!_

That was always Naruto's excuse for those little _spiteful_ girls.

"I can't grant you a month long holiday to check up on her when the economy is bad," Tsunade commented. The woman waved her hand and darted her eyes to the four dark corners of her office. Hinata slumped her shoulders, only to blink at the amused twinkle in the Fifth Hokage's eyes. "But I can give you and your team a two month long recon mission over there."

The blue-haired girl blinked. "T-Two months?"

"There are already a couple of chunin and jounin who have been sent to Japan to do research on the world outside of the Elemental Countries," the woman explained. Hinata blinked and blinked as her mind struggled to process what the Hokage had just informed her alongside the mission. "Each team have been deployed to a different city for research purpose but your team can be stationed with Jiraiya."

Hinata felt her throat tightened at the knowledge that the woman was very much willing to give her an opportunity to reunite with her friend. Tears burned through her eyes but the girl rubbed it away. Composure. She needed to keep her composure in front of the Hokage. It might not have been her original plan but Kiba and Shino coming along would be fine.

Kiba-kun hadn't been the same either when it was announced Naruto had been exiled. Actually most of the boys hadn't been the same since the announcement. Hinata exhaled. The one who had been affected the most by the exile had been Shikamaru. It had never been stated but the boy did blame himself for the predicament that Naruto had been in.

"Why are you giving my team the honor?" Hinata cleared her throat. "Shikamaru-kun and Choji-kun would be just as pleased to check up on Naruto-chan."

Tsunade looked at her for the longest time. "I watched you struggle to snap Naruto out of her slump and from what both Jiraiya and Kakashi told me, you are her best-friend. Naruto directed that apology to you and we all know how stubborn that girl can be when it comes to apologizing."

Hinata sighed and nodded her head. If the whiskered teen was here then she would protest over the fact that she was incapable of apologizing for her behavior. The blue-haired girl curled her lips into a smile before looking down at her hoodie. Throughout the whole Sports Festival, she had seen a change in Naruto.

A change that Hinata wanted to confirm for herself was a good change or not.

Was that school really helping Naruto-chan? Because it looked like it but Hinata couldn't be sure. She darted her eyes to the window before flickering her eyes to Shizune and Tsunade. Both women raised their eyebrow at her and the 15-year-old teen shook her head. There was no need for her to vocalize her concern about the school that Naruto chose to enroll.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded and Hinata clicked her heels together. If she went over to the Inuzaka compound and the Abrume Compound then they could quickly pack their stuff. They would have to do a debrief and there would probably be a need for them to figure out their cover stories. But the knowledge that she could see her friend made her want to hum a small tune and hug everyone in the room.

"Hinata," the blue-haired girl stopped in her steps and turned around to look at the grim-eyes of Tsunade. "When you see Naruto, don't _ever _mention Uchiha Sasuke to her. I don't want to hear from Jiraiya that Naruto went back to _that broken state_ because of that boy."

The blue-haired teen clenched her jaws together at the reminder of what Sasuke had done. Out of everyone in their graduating class, not once did she suspect he would go that far with Naruto. Not when he had been hopelessly in love with the girl since their first day of school. Not when the two of them grew up together. She grinded her teeth together and controlled the rage that wanted to spill out of her mouth.

"I will make sure that no one from my team will bring up any _member_ from Team Seven," Hinata kept her eyes locked on Tsunade. "I'm not some _thoughtless, temperamental_ girl like your apprentice. Naruto's happiness and well-being has always been my number one priority."

Until what happened that day between Naruto and Sasuke, not once did she allow herself to think badly of Sakura. The closest she had ever been to smacking the girl had been the day when the blonde told her that the pink-haired girl thought she had been lucky not to have parents. If it was not for the fact Naruto would have been upset, she would have smacked the girl.

If she had been Sasuke then Hinata would have done more then just call Sakura, annoying.

Tsunade nodded and poured another glass of sake.

"Good because I want you to give me an update on her mental health situation," the woman informed her. "Jiraiya might have been in giving me reports but you know Naruto better than anyone in this village. You can tell me whether or not if Naruto is beginning to recover from what happened in the Valley Of The End."

* * *

**Author Note: Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Author Note:** I want to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_You are eating like there is no tomorrow, Uzumaki-chan!"_

Naruto offered a sheepish smile to Uraraka before swallowing a huge mouthful of her rice. The heavenly scent of the ginger scented chicken tickled her nostrils and the blonde piled more rice into her bowl. Piling up a couple of pieces of chicken onto the bowl, the whiskered teen looked down at her food. This was probably her fifteenth or her sixteenth bowl of food.

Midoriya cleared his throat and Naruto paused in her meal. Green eyes flashed with concern and Naruto forced herself to look at the other members on the table. Shouto frowned and darted his eyes to her food. Bakugou scowled while Uraraka and Asui exchanged glances. Great. It seemed like she had to explain some things to them.

"Making clones means I use a lot of Chakra," Naruto explained.

Uraraka and Midoriya exchanged glances before raising their eyebrows at her. The whiskered teen ignored their silent question, deciding instead to shove another mouthful of rice and chicken. The taste exploded in her mouth and for a brief moment fireworks flashed before her eyes. The rumbles in her stomach faded but the desire to throttle someone was still great.

Her eyes flickered towards the juicy, fatty slice of beef on the plate in front of her. The scent of spices filled her nostrils and the whiskered teen licked her chapped lips. It would be a greedy of her to take another slice of meat, but the juiciness of the meat told her that it was not just any meat. It looked like the expensive kind.

"Uzumaki-chan, are you sure that you aren't taking out your anger on the food?" Asui frowned as she picked up a tempura from the bowl right in front of Midoriya. Green eyes regarded her with careful consideration. "Some people are known to eat a lot when they are angry or sad."

Naruto frowned and knitted her eyebrows together, staring down at her own bowl of food. She pushed the food back and forth, poking her tongue against her cheek. Was her fury so great that she developed a habit of eating more food? How could she say no when the heavenly scent of food tickled her nostrils and her stomach constantly growled for food.

There was also the fact she would always punch or scream by someone by now if she was burning up with rage. Her jaws did not clench or tighten either. Naruto bobbed her head and wiped her mouth with the napkin before looking back at Asui and the others.

"Don't know," she finally replied, putting down her chopsticks. "I don't really care either because I'm going to burn it all up tomorrow when we have our training."

Uraraka nodded and darted her eyes to the other members on their table before turning her head around to look at her. "Do you have any idea of what our training might entitle?"

The chatter died down as everyone shut their eyes. The whiskered teen was not certain of what was going through her classmates mind but she knew what was going through her mind. Everyone in her class was unique. Shouto could make fire and ice with both side of his body while Bakugou could cause explosion with his own sweat.

Their training had to be unique and that made Naruto tilt her head to the side. How were they going to do things? How did they improve Kekkei Genkei? It should remain the same but Bakugou mentioned Kekkei Genkei were like muscles. So maybe they were going to overdo it? Luckily Akira gave her an idea or else she might suffer from chakra exhaustion. Naruto grimaced.

"Aizawa-sensei is probably going to test us to our limits," Naruto picked up another mouthful of rice. "But how Aizawa-sensei plans to do it, I don't know and honestly I don't wanna think about it till morning."

Mumbles of agreement came from all around her and the whiskered teen shoved the mouthful of rice into her mouth. A tear leaked out of her eyes and a tiny moan escaped from her lips. Could food be this delicious? Or was it because of the fact they had been fighting beasts for the whole day? She let out a little cry and blinked when several of the boy flushed a deep shade of red.

Shouto couldn't meet her in the eye, cheeks flushed a shade of cherry red and he darted his eyes to her mouth. Her stomach fluttered and her throat dried up like she was stranded in the middle of the desert. Naruto gulped and piled another bowl of rice. Taking another deep breath, the girl thrust the rice into her mouth.

"You shouldn't eat so quickly," the mismatch boy advised her. He picked up a tempura and placed it on his own bowl before eyeing the bowl in her hand. "You are going to get another stomach-ache, Naruto."

She swallowed the rice and bobbed her head as everyone flickered their eyes between them. The lack of raised eyebrows told her, they probably figured out they ate together a lot even after school. "I can't help it, Shouto! The food is just _so amazing_!"

Another tear came out of her eyes as her stomach roared with delight. From across the table, Kaminari and Kirishima bobbed their heads in agreement and offered her a hum of encouragement. A smile played on her lips and the whiskered teen knitted her eyebrows together when the two boys flushed a bright shade of pink, the same kind of pinkness that Hinata-chan would make around Kiba.

Bakugou growled and glared daggers at the two boys, looking almost like a ferocious beast. Kaminari and Kirishima squeaked like a bunch of rats while Ashido looked at the blond-haired boy with amusement. Naruto only raised her eyebrows up to her hairline. What the hell was happening with those two boys? They looked like weirdos.

"You should stop smiling!" Bakugou growled. "And slow the fuck down, Whiskers! No one wants to clean up your puke!"

Naruto swallowed the lump of rice as everyone shook their heads at the boy. Their eyes didn't look one bit impress by his words, only looking at the boy like he was being ridiculous and that they were disappointed with his words if that frown was anything to go by. The whiskered teen rubbed the back of her neck. Nothing about his words stabbed her in the heart if that was why they looked at him like that.

She knew it was his way of showing concern, but what did smiling have to do with anything was a complete mystery to her. No one would get harm from her smiles.

Shaking her head, Naruto paused and looked down at her bowl of rice. Now that she stopped eating, the blonde realized how dried her throat was. It felt like it was in the middle of Konoha's summer. Her throat burned like that time when Kakashi and Sakura left her tied up to that stake. The only way for her to get rid of this burning sensation was water.

She inhaled, ribs stretching until it cracked, and twisted her body around. Her ponytail smacked Midoriya on the face, leaving a huge red imprint on his face. The boy rubbed his cheeks and Naruto offered him an apologetic smile before making her way to the counter. There had to be some water over there.

The cheerful chatter filled the dining room as the blonde made her way to the counter. Several eyes flickered to her, making her feel like she was an ant ready to be inspected and Naruto kept her eyes focused on the table ahead of her. Did they know what she did to Kouta? Or did they find it weird she ate so much in one sitting?

She stopped in front of the counter. Orange juice, milk and various other soda drinks but where the hell was the damn water? Naruto squinted her eyes and pushed the drinks to the side. Nope. No sight of the damn water. A grimace played on her lips and the girl swirled her head around to scan the other tables.

No sight of the water jug.

"It is right there," a familiar, childish voice grumbled.

Naruto blinked as Kouta dropped the box of vegetables on the floor. A small bang penetrated through the air but the loud conversationss from the other students blanketed the sound. The little boy glowered at her, looking like a cute little puppy but Naruto knew in a few more years that the glare could change to a ferocious dog. He tip-toed and pointed to the water jug that stood in the furthest corner of the table, just right beside the plastic cups.

"Thanks brat," the blonde said cheerfully as she pulled a plastic cup from the tower of plastic cups. She picked up the water jug, poured it down the cup and ignored the glare directed at her.

Kouta growled. "I have a name! It's Kouta! Not brat!"

She waved his complaints off and took a sip of the water before locking her eyes on the scowling boy in front of her. His hat tilted downwards, dark shadows covered his eyes but did nothing to hide the heat of his glares. If looks could kill then the boy could probably pinch her with that feeble glare.

"I'm going to keep calling you brat," Naruto shrugged and stretched her arm. Sharp pain erupted from her shoulder like she had been stabbed by a million of needles as black eyes narrowed at her. The glare intensified but compared to the numerous glares she experienced, it did nothing to her. Her legs didn't even tremble.

She clicked her heels together and began to make her way back to the table, only to stop when Kouta tugged the back of her school blouse. Swirling her head around, the whiskered teen raised her eyebrow at the little boy. Black eyes refused to meet her own and his shoulders hunched up until it reached his ears.

He looked like a shy little animal with that action and that only made her smile.

"Why do you talk to me like that?" Kouta asked. His voice was softer than a whisper and if it wasn't for the fact her hearing was as sensitive as a member of the Inuzaka clan then she probably would have missed the question. Naruto knitted her eyebrows into a thin line and the boy continued on. "I thought heroes aren't supposed to insult people or talk rudely to civilians."

A sigh escaped Naruto's lips and the girl made her way back to the counter. The cup of water was placed onto the counter before the blonde knelt down to stare at the boy. His whole body trembled like he was a tiny twig in the middle of a storm and his eyes looked at her like he did not know what to make of her.

"I wasn't talking to you like a hero," Naruto admitted with a tiny casual shrug. The little brat blinked and knitted his eyebrows together while the girl slipped her hands through the pocket of her skirt. "When I told you that shit, I talked to you from one orphan to another. I ain't giving you a free pass with that disrespectful behavior because you are like…what? Six?"

Kouta scowled and folded his arms against his chest. "I'm five."

Naruto nodded and locked eyes on the smiling faces of her classmates. Their smiles brought a warmth to her stomach that made her feel like she was on the top of the world. The little, _constant _ache inside of her chest did not seem as unbearable as before. That tightness in her chest did not make it hard for her to breath. Mismatch eyes met her own and the whiskered teen felt the little flutter of wings inside of her stomach.

She probably should give him some advice.

"Y'know that behavior of yours? It is going to ruin you one day," she tore her eyes away from Shouto and locked eyes with Kouta. "People won't want to be your friend if you act _that_ rude to them. The other kids won't like you if you behave this way."

The little boy humped and folded his arms against his chest before looking at her like she was the biggest idiot in the world. Bubbles of laughter build up in her throat and the blonde swallowed it down. Brat would probably glare at her and made life more difficult for her in this camp. The last thing she needed was a little brat making trouble for her.

"Why the hell would I want to make friends?" Kouta finally spat. The words came out like bullets but Naruto was not certain if those bullets were meant to shoot her or if he was trying to convince himself that was true. Black eyes glowed with anger. "All the kids in my kindergarten talks about is how they want to be stupid heroes! I ain't making friends with those shitty people!"

"Then don't make friends with them," the boy blinked and Naruto looked at him with serious eyes. "But you will probably find someone who hates heroes just as much as you do. They can be your friends if heroes annoy you that much."

He gawked at her with his mouth hanging open like a frog and the whiskered teen allowed a little husky laugh escaped from her lips before closing his mouth. The little brat did not expect that. Probably thought she would go on a long rant about how awesome heroes were but that shit did not work with Inari.

If it did not work the first time then it definitely would not work for a second time.

"I doubt it," the little boy grunted. "They are all idiots who want to be stupid heroes."

* * *

_It is a beautiful night._

The twinkling night stars looked like little white dots painted onto a black canvas if you asked Naruto. In the distance, she could see a shooting star fading into oblivion. Mikoto-obaachan used to tell her that she should always make a wish behind a shooting star and that the wish would always come true. But with the steam wharfing from the shining waters and the excited chatter of her female classmates, the blonde could not think of a single wish.

_I think it is because my wish have been finally granted._ Naruto stretched her arms and swirled her heads at her grinning classmates. There was now a name for her to put on her parents. A name that no one could take away from her anymore. Her parents existed. She was not some monster who came from nowhere. Those doubts were now cleared and to be locked up in a treasure box inside of her mind, never to be open again.

"Uzumaki-chan, when did you have your first crush?" Naruto blinked and jerked her head around as Ashido slid down from the rock. The water splashed and jumped up like it was on a trampoline as the older girl took her spot right beside her. Yellow eyes sparkled like ambers and a wide smile stretched on the girl's lips like someone stretched it on her.

On anyone else, the girl would believe it was a fake smile but that smile suited her classmate.

The chatter died down as all the girls turned their heads around. Excitement hovered in the air as if they were waiting for some big announcement and Naruto knitted her eyebrows together. When did she have her first crush? Why did that matter? Should she even tell them the truth? They might think she was a weirdo if she admitted the truth. They might call her a liar but did it matter?

She knew the truth and that should be the only thing that mattered. Naruto nodded and shoved those _annoying, painful_ doubts to the deepest corner of her mind. Maybe they would be like Hinata-chan. Sweet Hinata always believed her, never once called her a liar like those _mean_ girls in the Academy. They could be like Hinata and not like Ami and the other civilian girls.

"I only started having a crush when I came to Yuuei," Naruto admitted. Her heart sounded like one of those racecars that she had seen in television at one point and her cheeks burned like someone poured a steaming hot cup of tea on her. "Until I came here, no one really caught my eye."

Amajiki did in a way if she thought about it but not in the she swallowed a bunch of birds kind of a way. Her heart screamed, twisted and ached whenever the boy came to work. Memories would play and it made being his server in the café hard. She did not even know why Mirio and him would keep coming to her café like a clockwork to her work place.

Ashido looked at her with eyes that resembled large balloons while the other girls blinked and blinked at her admission. Naruto looked down at the water. Hiding would be a good idea. No one would judge her. She could regain control of her emotions, bottling it up into a tiny bottle again. That would be the best idea for her.

"What about Gaara-san?" Yaoyorozu asked.

The blonde tore her eyes and blinked as her mind turned blank. Gaara? And her? Together? The day that happened would be the day Kakashi stopped reading Icha-Icha series. It was never going to happen. But maybe her friend thought they had something going on and believed they would be rivals? Except her eyes looked only curious.

There was no desire to ruin her life or anything and that just made things easier for her.

"I never thought of him or any guy in that way until I came to Yuuei," Naruto replied, relaxing her shoulders. She rubbed the back of her neck and avoided locking eyes with the curious eyes of the girls. "I never really had time to think about love and all that kind of stuff."

The confession loomed over them and Naruto straightened her back like a soldier ready to be interrogated by her commanding officer. This was where the firing of question would begin. People always found her odd whenever she admitted it. They always looked at her like she was some kind of alien or a liar for saying those words.

No words came out of her classmates. The whole hot spring was dead silent with the only sound coming out of them were the sound of the boy's chatter from the other side of the wall. Weren't they going to say something? Because she could give them a good explanation for why she never had a _silly_ little crush until now.

"So Todoroki is your first crush?" Ashido finally asked, curling her lips into a wide smile. "He is your _first_ love!"

Love.

The word drew blank as Naruto processed what the girl finally said. Once her brain rebooted and processed everything, the blonde dunk herself underneath the water and her classmates giggled like a bunch _of excited_ _schoolgirls_. Her heart bounced against her rib cage and her chest tightened until no more air could be breathed in.

Shouto was her first crush except it was deeper than that. If crushes were feelings of affection streaming down a small river then the feeling coursing through her were like a huge river. Did that mean she love him? What was the difference between love, affection and crush? It sounded so ridiculous how she couldn't figure it out.

Her chest burned and Naruto knew it was time for her to come back up. She threw her head back up in the air, blond hair smacking Ashido on the cheek with a clear smack, and began to breath in huge gulps of air. All around her, the girls gave her knowing looks like they expected her to react like a…_naïve little girl_.

"I'm weird, aren't I?" Naruto forced herself to glue on her smile and to swallow back the raging accusation that wanted to be thrown at them. Not the time for her to run her mouth and ruin the chance of her actually getting to know her classmates. "Back home, almost all of the girls developed crushes when they were seven."

They shook their heads, droplets of water smacking onto the floor, and the blonde blinked. _They don't think I'm weird._ The thought played like one of those annoying advertisement on television. Except it did not make her want to tear her hair off. No, she guessed the knowledge they didn't think she was weird lifted the huge boulder that she never knew she carried inside of her.

"You aren't weird for not having a crush when you were just a little kid," Jirou hummed and looked up at the night sky. "Everyone have different ways of handling romantic feelings and everybody is different. You can't force yourself to like someone if you asked me even if everyone is doing it."

Naruto sunk herself into the water at this acknowledgment and allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of her tense muscles singing praises to the hot water. She blew bubbles and closed her eyes. _Different ways of handling romantic feelings?_ No one ever gave her that idea. _Everybody is different._ Mikoto-obaachan said the same thing but the woman had always been comforting her.

Now another girl said it and maybe Mikoto hadn't been just trying to comfort her.

"So how old were all of you when you develop your first crush?" She poked her tongue against her cheek and looked down her wrinkly hand. Water soaked her hands as she waited for her classmates to either tell her or inform her they weren't ready to talk about it. Yaoyorozu knitted her eyebrows together while Uraraka flushed a very nice shade of pink.

Ashido clapped her hands together and looked ready to bounce in excitement at the question. Naruto stitched her eyebrows together. Was it really that interesting of a topic? Because the girl looked like she was having puppies over her question. The other girls looked pleased, their smiles glowed like the moon shining above them.

"_Walls are meant to be climbed!"_

That war cry pierced through the air and Naruto looked to the wall. That annoying little piece of shit did not learn his lesson, did he? Was he filled with so much lust that a threat of a physical beating wasn't enough for him! She clenched her jaws together. Well if he wanted to act like the human embodiment of lust then she would break every rib in his body.

Bobbing her head, the whiskered teen pushed herself up from her spot and jumped onto the ground. If she was going to teach him a lesson then she needed a damn towel. Where was it again? Did it even matter? She just needed something to cover herself up like a baby. Just give that little shit a peak and he would act even worse.

"Uzumaki-chan," Naruto looked at Asui as she knotted the towel over her chest. Green eyes glowed with faint amusement and the whiskered teen raised an eyebrow at her classmate. "I think Bakugou-chan and Todoroki-chan are going to stop him."

"Maybe," the whiskered teen conceded. She tightened the knot and took another step to the looming wall that separated them from the rest of their classmates. The other side was dead silent. No usual screams from Bakugo. That was definitely not good news. What did Mineta do to make the boy quiet? Nothing good was a definite answer.

A bright red cap popped up from the top of the wall and Naruto blinked. Wait, wasn't that Kouta? Why was the little brat here? Was he a pervert? No. He was actually trying to protect their dignity because why would he shove Mineta down? That was one respectful little boy. He was definitely better than the middle-aged man in her apartment.

That old pervert would have allowed Mineta to peak and even encouraged it.

"You rock, Kouta-kun!" Ashido cried.

The little kid froze and like a little robot, he turned around to look at them. His eyes went wide, almost resembling tennis balls, and his jaw dropped. Maybe it was too soon for her to declare him decent because that blood gushing out of his nose came out of nowhere. He took a step backwards and blue eyes widened.

_Shit._

If she did nothing then he was going to crash right down to the ground. He would be shaped like a pancake and no way was she going to let this happen. Her heart boomed against her ear. Her chest tightened like the air had been knocked out of her. There was some sweat tickling down on her face and she channeled the chakra right to her legs.

"Uzumak-chan, it is too high—"

The words drowned against the sound of her thundering, _soft _heart and the only thing she could focus was the top of wall. Just a few more meters and she would be able to get that little brat. What the hell was he thinking? She could be the one to punch Mineta. He didn't need to _be so reckless_ and endangered himself like that!

Her legs dropped onto the wall and Naruto launched herself, ready to pull the boy back but froze at the sight of scarred fingers cradling tufts of black hair. Blue eyes followed the scarred finger and paused before meeting bright, round, large green eyes that looked ready to fall off from its socket.

Water dribbled down the chiseled lines of Midoriya's very _bare _chest and her mind went blank. Going blank was an understatement. It exploded at the knowledge that the _sweet, stuttering_ boy had muscles. When did he grow up? Wait she helped him with his training but it was so easy for her to forget he had to have some muscles.

Her eyes darted down and the whiskered teen sighed. Good. The boy had a towel on. They both could keep their dignity except Midoriya had flushed cheeks. He looked exactly like Kaminari and Kirishima from lunch. Why the hell was he that red like that? Oh wait. She did not move her eyes away from him and that could explain things.

She gulped and looked to the side.

So many eyes met her and each one of them had different expressions. Most of them flushed red with embarrassment, not meeting her own eyes. A few of them gawked. Kirishima could not stop looking at her, red eyes fixated on her legs. Tokoyami covered his eyes like he hoped it would protect the remaining dignity. It did not if you asked her.

Her dignity flew away the moment her eyes locked on them.

Bakugou looked frozen while Iida was sprawled on the ground with that little pervert on top of him.

But the expression that made her throat dried up and her heart pounding against her chest was Shouto. His expression was blank but the flare of his nostrils spoke volume of irritation. What should she say? Wait, he wasn't glaring at her. Those eyes were directed at the little pervert on top of their Class President.

Mismatch eyes locked onto her, trailing from her hair to her eyes before staring at her towel. A little tickle of blood came out of his nose, barely noticeable but her heart raced even harder at the knowledge. No, it was not the knowledge of that little tickle of blood meant. It was the raw _desire_ in his eyes.

The blonde allowed her eyes to look at his chest. Broader. It was definitely broader than Midoriya and maybe slightly more muscular. Water dribbled down and she should look away except it was going lower. She wanted to follow it. Her throat dried up as a very _strange_ feeling washed over her.

She didn't know what this hunger was inside of her except for the fact she wanted to trail kisses.

"Uzumaki-chan!"

Uraraka's voice broke through the spell inside of her and Naruto looked down at her towel. Right since her towel was properly knotted then it would be fine for her to jump down now.

"I-I should get going and I'm not a pervert!"

Why did she have to scream that last part out loud?

* * *

"_What the hell were you thinking when you jumped up that wall, Naruto?"_

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and crossed her legs together as a pair of mismatch eyes radiated with a cold fury that could even freeze the walls behind her. It was not the first time she had seen Shouto furious but this was a different kind of rage. The kind of rage that made her stomach turned and flipped, which was definitely not a good thing.

What was a good thing was the fact her boyfriend figured out she would in the furthest corner of the forest lodge, far away from the prying eyes of everyone in their class. It was such a cowardly thing to do. But having them scold her for her actions while her cheeks burned with embarrassment had been the last thing she wanted.

"I didn't want that little kid to get injured," Naruto explained. Her voice sounded so shaky in her ears but how could she control her breathing when the memory of Shouto's chest kept playing in repeat for her. It was a miracle she could look him in the eyes without her cheeks heating up and her boyfriend must have realized it because the rage faded. "I couldn't let that kid get injured."

The mismatched-boy darted his eyes around but if he was worried about the girls coming in through the corridor then he shouldn't worry. None of the girls had decided to unpack before they were given permission to go to the hot spring. Her ears were ready to pick up the sound of any light, bouncy footsteps that could belong to the girls.

"Your towel could have fallen off," Shouto whispered as he leaned closer to her. Desperation colored his tone and he looked almost like an embarrassed kitten for admitting those words to her. Except no embarrassed kitten would eye her chest or looked down to her legs with those _kind_ of eyes.

The kind of eyes that made her heart pound like it was on the roller coaster. Those kind of eyes made her want to squirm in her seat and made her sweat. It was weird too. Even though it was summer, the air around them was not warm enough to bring this kind of reaction out of her. She shouldn't sweat like she had done a hardcore day of training when all she had done was relax.

"I made sure the knot was tight before I tried to rescue him," she reminded him.

Shouto shook his head, knelt down till they were at eye level and reached his hand out to her. He cradled her face like it was something precious. His eyes looked at her like he thought she was some kind of treasure but that was kind of silly. If anyone was a treasure then it was this beautiful boy right in front of her.

"They could have seen your whole body," Shouto choked out. His eyes wavered in a way that she had never seen before but it was not a bad way. _It was him being vulnerable with her._ Yeah, this was what was happening right now. He was being vulnerable about how he felt and that was an amazing thing. It wasn't easy for him. "I don't like it."

Naruto frowned and regarded the boy right in front of her. Why couldn't he meet her in the eye? Why did he sound ashamed for admitting it? Because her heart fluttered at those words. It shouldn't have. Being an independent person meant she shouldn't like his words but her stomach was doing cartwheels at the declaration.

She flickered her eyes around the dark corridor and pulled the boy down. It wouldn't be wrong for her to cradle him right? They were allowed to do these things. He sounded like he thought he was the worse person in the world for saying those words. Overhaul took the honor. Shouto was _perfect_ in her eyes.

Yeah, she probably was more sappy than she wanted to admit but Naruto didn't mind being a sappy idiot around Shouto. He was worth it if you asked her.

"Why?" Naruto asked as her fingers combed through his hair. It was obvious to her why he didn't like it but she wanted him to say those words. Did he think she would think he was selfish like his stupid father? Because he was anything but that. If anyone was the selfish one between them then it would be her.

A little mouse-like squeak escaped her lips when the younger boy began to rub circles around her back. It was only over her shirt but his touch really did burn her. Definitely not in a bad way where she wanted to complain, but in a good way where she wanted to demand for more. Everything about his touch brought out a little spark. It always made her heart speed up like it was in the middle of the highway.

"You are going to dislike my reason."

Her stupid heart wanted to swoon at the worst moment. She needed to take a couple of deep breaths to calm down her _silly_ heart before she did something impulsive again. The moment her heart decided to behave itself, Naruto cradled Shouto's face upwards and leaned closer to him. "Let me decide, Homeostasis."

Unless it was a stupid reason then nothing would really make her change her mind. She should say that to him but the word stupid would give him the wrong message. Something else should be said. What was a gentle word? Silly? Yeah, she liked that better. If it was a silly reason then she would dislike it.

Shouto looked at her for the longest time, probably around three minutes before he linked their hands together. His hand was larger than hers and so much more warmer than her own hand. It could probably leave a mark on her. Her toes curled. That would be nice if he could do that. Maybe it would make things clear of where her feelings stood with him.

"I don't want anyone else to see you like that," he admitted. "I…I want to be the only one who can see you in that way and that is wrong of me. I know you aren't a possession but…"

The words died down like Shouto had no idea of how to express what he wanted to say. There was no need for him to continue. She understood what the boy was trying to tell her. He thought he was being selfish and a possessive person but was it possessive? She didn't want anyone else to see him like this.

All she wanted to do was keep it in a treasure inside of her memories that could be only unlock by her.

"You don't like other people looking at me like I'm theirs either," she muttered. Shouto nodded his head like a guilty little puppy and the blonde curled her lips into a smile. Well if this was the way he thought then it wouldn't be wrong of her to shower him with more affection right? Because her stomach did flips with what he admitted. "I feel the same way."

Shouto blinked and Naruto tilted his head upwards. Those lips were really calling out to her, just begging for her to kiss and she should kiss it. Mismatch eyes flickered down to her own lips, looking torn between whether or not to kiss her. That was fine. If she was selfish then he was teaching her to be less selfish.

She should teach him to be just a little bit selfish when it came to his own desires.

"You know if you want to kiss me again then you don't need to ask," Naruto whispered into his ear as her legs wrapped around him. "Unless I tell you that I don't want it then you can bet that I'm consenting to it."

The words hung in the air as Shouto looked at her with wide eyes. She should look away but that would take away the seriousness of what she admitted to him. He would hesitate and that was acceptable if he wasn't ready. But if he decided to hesitate because he thought she would think the worse of him then she wanted to make this clear.

Mismatch eyes flickered down to her lips again and the boy leaned closer to her. Only a few centimeters away from her. That curry on his breath tasted delicious. She should let him take the lead for once. Her whole body trembled and throbbed as the younger boy looked torn between doing what he wanted or doing what he thought she wanted.

"So you don't mind if I be a little bit selfish?" He whispered.

Naruto nodded and the boy pressed his lips against her. The scent of strawberries and whipped cream encased her senses, made her brain shut down and stopped all processes. This was different from the sweet kisses they had been having for the past two weeks. This kiss made her whole body throbbed and made her want to bring him closer. It felt like he wanted her to himself and never let her go.

The knowledge allowed her to grant him permission to deepen the kiss. Could a tongue feel like the perfect blend of hot and cold? Because that was what it felt like with Shouto. It felt like a tender dance but this tender dance made her ache in a good part. It felt like a little haze around her mind as her hand tugged on his hair.

She never wanted this to end. Even if he drained her out of all of her strength then it was fine with her. He could bruise her lips and if he wanted to leave a mark on her then she wouldn't mind. It would probably feel as good as the mixture of heat and cold coursing through her lips.

A tiny whine escaped her lips when the boy tore his mouth away from her.

"I also don't like the fact you ogled Midoriya's chest," the younger boy informed her as his breath came out in short burst. His hand ran through her hair and those mismatched eyes darkened slightly. "I wanted to throttle him."

Naruto chuckled and pressed her lips against his jawline.

"I like staring at your chest even more than Midoriya, Homeostasis."

The boy only blushed.

* * *

**A/N**:** So do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and how you think Hinata would take to Shouto and Naruto's relationship.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original character.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourite and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Ah Uzumaki-san, are you also here to check up on Kouta-kun?"_

Naruto nodded and focused her attention on Mandalay. The woman offered her a warm smile before flickering her eyes to the passed out little boy sleeping on the brown couch. No hat decorated his head, highlighting just how young he was to her. With the lack of scowl and furrowed eyebrows, he looked just like any five-year-old. An innocent little kid who probably hadn't been through hardship.

But the moment the little boy flashed his eyes, the image would be destroyed and reality would sink back in.

"He passed out the moment Midoriya caught him," Naruto shrugged and folded her arms against her chest as the wolves howled their evening call. Mandalay bobbed her head and the whiskered teen continued. "This wouldn't happen if the kid took it for himself to guard us from that little deviant. I already had plans of what to do if Mineta tried to peak on us."

The woman didn't crack a smile, only frowning even more at the reminder of what happened. Naruto slid her hands deeper into the pocket of her shorts and stared at the tousled hair. She should ask if Mineta had been the one to come back here but that classmate of hers wasn't the type to admit he had done something wrong. The only other person who could have come was probably Midoriya.

"You can blame me for Kouta's action," Mandalay combed through the little boy's hair before picking up the towel on top of his tiny forehead. She squeezed the water from the towel while Naruto knitted her eyebrows together. "Eraser mentioned that there was a boy who was the living embodiment of lust so I asked Kouta to look out for you girls."

The blonde nodded and looked down at the sleeping child. His breath came out like little whistles as he cuddled himself into a tiny ball. It was like he tried to capture as much warmth as he could get. His mouth opened and closed like he was mumbling something to himself. Maybe he recalled the memory of his parents and was trying to get their warmth.

It would be terrible when the boy woke up and recalled they were gone, only a figment of his own memory.

"I'm sorry for how Kouta-kun behaved to you and your classmates," Mandalay said. Warm brown eyes fixated on her, flashing with so much remorse that Naruto felt her stomach churned. The heroine cleared her throat. "You must have gotten a real bad impression on Kouta-kun but he is a good kid."

Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line and rubbed the back of her neck as her eyes focused on the little boy. There were a lot of things she could say to the woman. That the boy was an annoying little brat. It would make the woman think she had no intention of getting emotional attached to the kid. But that would be lying and she was not a liar.

She would omit information, refused to talk about it… but purposely lying to someone would make her no better than that _liar_. The blonde sighed and knelt down till she was at head level with the sleeping boy.

"I don't actually have a bad impression of Kouta," the blonde curled her lips into a tiny smile. "Yeah he pissed me off when he tried to punch Midoriya on the crotch but that doesn't mean I think he is a terrible kid."

The woman blinked while Naruto looked out to the window. The shooting star flew passed while the owls hooted like they agreed with her. With the window opened as wide as it was, it really should not make her jump up when the wind caressed her face. Her whole body warmed up from the touch, almost as if the wind was trying to give her a mother touch.

A part of her wanted to believe it was the spirt of her mother or even Mikoto-obaachan in the winds but it would be silly if Mikoto-obaachan would watch her.

Mandalay tilted her head and stared at her. "Then what do you think of Kouta-kun?"

_What do I really think of this little brat?_ Naruto schooled her expression into a blank one. Annoying had been the first impression but the kid was like a little bug to her. But annoying was her impression but it didn't really tell what she actually thought of the little boy. Sad was a definite answer because those eyes might have glowed with anger but sadness and hurt were there too.

"I think he is just a little kid who is in a lot of pain," Naruto finally replied. "I know you and Aizawa-sensei will expect me to give him some slack because he is only five or even because he is an orphan. But I didn't want him to think because he had a crappy life that he can treat people like that."

Mandalay frowned and looked at her like she did not know what to think of her words. Brown eyes inspected every inch of her like she was some kind of mystery she wanted to solve. Those eyes moved from her hair to her eyes, probing her for some kind of clue but Naruto only kept her expression blank.

_I won't talk about the fact I'm an orphan to her._ Naruto bit her tongue and allowed the pain to overcome her senses. The desire to spill her own past was great, ready for her to shout but the whistle-like snore from Kouta helped her to pull in the reigns. The talk was about the emotionally-hurt little boy that slept like a baby on the couch, not about her.

"I don't know what to do with Kouta-kun," the heroine informed her. Brown eyes focused on the sleeping child, never once reverting its gaze at her. Naruto only knitted her eyebrows together into a thin line and scratched her head. "Kouta-kun isn't fond of anyone who wants to be a hero or who is a hero and that includes me. Nothing I do will make Kouta open up to me."

Only the footsteps of the students of Class B echoed in the room as Naruto locked eyes with the sleeping boy. What could she say? That it was normal? Did she tell Mandalay that it was not impossible? That would be what she would usually say but would it be enough to reassure the woman? She didn't know what to say to comfort the woman.

Comforting someone had never been her forte as Sakura would always yell at her whenever some kid sobbed harder after talking to her.

"I'm sure the little twerp knows he is lucky to have you in his life," Naruto said, keeping her tone steady. Her heart pounded against her chest, ready to explode with fear and doubt but the whiskered teen exhaled. "He is a smart kid but he is also pretty terrified of letting you in. He probably knows if he gets very attached and you die then he will go through the same pain."

Mandalay blinked as the crickets chirped, filling in the silence between them. The woman rubbed her chin and knitted her eyebrows together before flickering her eyes between Kouta and Naruto. The whiskered teen rubbed the back of her neck and twisted her sneakers around. The squeaks filled the air and the blonde decided to continue on.

"Because he experienced the pain before, I think he just decided to lock his heart and pretend he doesn't like you," she finished lamely.

Brown eyes shone with hope at her words and Naruto tilted her head. How was that helpful? It didn't mean anything. Nothing about her words gave any advice to her. It was the least helpful thing for this hero. What did her words mean to this woman? She should ask but the words were jammed into her throat.

After a couple of seconds, the woman finally offered her a smile and chuckled. "You talk about Kouta-kun like you have him all figured out."

Frowning, the blonde regarded the bratty boy on the bed. Her hand hovered above his hair, ready to ruffle it and the whiskered teen withdrew her hand. Maybe with his black hair and hateful black eyes, she had been reminded of her very first friend. She could almost overlay the image of an eight-year-old Sasuke with this little boy.

"I don't have him figure out," the blonde hummed and closed her eyes. "I can only guess he must have love his parents a lot and remembers them every day. I think the feelings he has…are normal."

_This pain came from the destruction of my family bonds! How could you ever understand what it means to __**lose**__ anything!_

Furious black eyes played behind her eyes and her stomach throbbed from the lingering ghost of Sasuke's kick. Even now heart mourned like it always did whenever she recalled their last fight. It was irony if you asked her. This was the only fight that scarred her both emotionally and physically, yet it was what made her connect the dots.

"I hope one day he lets me in."

The words were barely loud, only a whisper in the wind but Naruto heard it like the lightning in the thunder storm. Brown eyes teared up but Mandalay did not cry. Her eyes were moist but the woman did not let a single tear drop. To cry in front of a stranger would make the whole air around them awkward.

The whiskered teen zipped her mouth and stared at the young woman who combed through the boy's hair. The little hums and gentle combs through his hair made her heart ache. A misty memory suddenly played before her eyes of warm black eyes. Her heart screamed in agony like it always did whenever Mikoto-obaachan's face appeared. Someone combing through her own hair and telling her that she hoped she would be there for Sasuke because—

"_You are probably the friend that Sasuke adores the most and I hope you will be there for him if Fugaku and I fail in our plans. Sasuke will need you the most, Naru-chan because he still has no understanding of the world."_

Naruto sucked in a deep breath and shoved the memory back because this was not the time for her to begin remembering things. The hero probably needed her more now then the memory that brought more questions than answers. The hero needed a piece of advice that worked for her.

The thing Mikoto-obaachan and Aizawa-sensei had been doing without any struggle.

"I think you just need to show him that you are going to be there for him when he needs you," Naruto cleared her throat and clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm sure one day the little brat will thank you for sticking by his side even when he acted like a little hellion to you and your teammate."

Mandalay did not tear her eyes away from Kouta and sighed. "And why would he thank me? That little boy thinks everything I do is because it is my duty and not because I care about him."

A little smile played on Naruto's lips as her eyes fixated on the black-haired boy. It was not noticeable but the whistle-like snores stopped completely and the boy stopped cuddling his legs. If she placed her ear against his chest then the blonde bet it wouldn't be a slow tempo like a song from one of those boring classical music.

The little brat was awake but she wouldn't call him out.

"I'm sure the little brat knows you are probably the closest thing he has to a mother."

Because that was what Mikoto had been to her but she might be wrong for all she know. But that little teardrop which trickled out of his eye told her that maybe she could be right.

* * *

"_What might have you see behind the wall?"_

Naruto squeaked and took a step back as Ashido and Hagakure leaned forward. Yellow eyes glimmered with curiosity and excitement and the whiskered teen was certain that the curiosity was also shining in the invisible girl's eyes. Their eyes just seemed to buzz with an eagerness to learn what the boys looked without their clothes.

Standing right behind Ashido and Hagakure were Asui and Yaoyorozu. Both girls gazed at the two girls with looks of disappointment before stealing a glance at her. Frowns decorated their faces and Naruto forced herself to look away from them. No words came out of their mouth but the heavy look in their eyes told her everything.

"I didn't see anything," Naruto forced the words out. Her heart pounded against her ears and the whiskered teen twisted her head around to look at the two girls. Disbelief shone through their eyes and the blonde kept her expression blank. One change in her facial expression and her two female classmates would pounce on her.

Ashido and Hagakure opened their mouths, only to sew their mouths shut when the other girls narrowed their eyes at them. Daggers could come out of their eyes and it would not make Naruto blink. The tension in her shoulders faded away like how the clouds would vanish from the air. It was nice. Talking about what she had seen behind those looming walls made her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Aren't you even a little bit curious to know what the boys would look like without their shirt?" Ashido pouted as Yaoyorozu and Tsuyu hauled the girls away from her. The Vice Class President jerked her head, eyebrows raised before shaking her head furiously. The burned cheeks, on the other hand, told a different story.

Tsuyu only looked at Ashido. "If Uzumaki-chan tells us then we won't be any different from Mineta."

The smiles disappeared from their faces while Naruto blinked. That was a very good point. If those two girls spilled the fact she had done more then try to save those boys then that little pervert would take it as an opportunity to point it out to them. The two girls must have realized too because they slumped their shoulders.

"I just wanna know how good Todoroki looks without a shirt on," Ashido muttered under her breath. Naruto grinded her teeth together and felt the vein on her forehead throbbed.

Naruto knew it was natural to be curious. Shouto was one of the most attractive boys in their year so it was only natural her classmate had this desire to know what the boy looked like without a shirt on. _I know she won't do anything._ But it was one thing for her to know this and another thing for her to give a hint of how good-looking her boyfriend was without a shirt on.

She inhaled and exhaled like the steady pace of her heart, not allowing herself to get riled up.

"You know I'm more curious about the scar on Uzumaki's chest than to know how our male classmates looked like without their shirts," Jirou admitted.

Silence filled the room as everyone looked at the whiskered teen. Naruto stared at them with blank eyes as her hands crept up against her chest. Until Jirou brought it out, her scar hadn't throbbed but now it burned with pain. She inhaled and exhaled like she was blowing a balloon as crazed black eyes flashed before her again.

"_I will break our bond."_

Naruto closed her eyes and allowed her hand to fall down her chest. The scar felt rough like the bark of a tree but it was barely noticeable if you asked her. It was barely the size of baby's fist but that might still be too big if the girl noticed it. Her throat tightened as another male voice echoed in her ear.

"_This will be a reminder of what that __**Uchiha**__ have done. You nearly got us killed for your selfish desire to bring back your best friend."_

The Kyuubi always healed her wounds but this was the one wound he refused to heal. If Naruto hadn't known better, it would sound like the beast cared for her. But the monster inside of her cared about its well-being and they were connected by a string. The fact she could have gotten him killed was probably why the beast had been irritated with her.

"I got it in a fight," Naruto finally said. She rubbed her chest and forced herself to plaster on a smile. Her cheeks screamed in pain from the fake smile but she couldn't allow them to know that this scar affected her, the most. This amount of information was the amount she felt comfortable talking about. "Probably one of the most difficult fight I have ever been."

Both emotionally and physically if you asked her.

"You shouldn't get into any more fights," Asui said. Naruto blinked as nods of agreement came from everyone in the room. Their eyes glimmered with concern as if they understood what the unspoken words. Maybe they did. Not a single one of them looked like they wanted to push her to talk about the story behind her scar. "It won't look good if you have a lot of scars in your body."

Naruto closed her eyes and pressed her hand against her chest. This would be the only scar in her life. This was a reminder of what happened to her when she got too reckless. It would be the physical manifestation of the pain Sasuke brought to her.

"Your future husband might not be happy by the scar," Hagakure scolded. "So you need to be extra careful to make sure you don't get any scars on you. You should get some medication for that scar."

_Future husband._ The blonde poked her tongue against her cheek and looked up at the fan rotating above them. Marriage was an odd institution if you asked her. Not something she could picture herself doing, but then again it had been drilled into her head that she would be lucky to find someone who loved her.

"If he doesn't like it then he should deal with it," Naruto hummed. Her classmates blinked and tilted their heads to the right, their eyes focused on her chest. It probably sounded weird. A part of her did want to get rid of the scar and make it fade like the rain, but a huge part of her wanted this scar to remain in her body.

Uraraka frowned. "Don't you want to get rid of it?"

"Maybe in the beginning," Naruto admitted. She rubbed her hand against her scar as harsh black eyes flashed before her eyes. The sound of a thousand bird chirping echoed in her ear but the blonde pushed the memory behind. "But my scar tells my story and acts of a reminder to me. It reminds me of my lesson learnt from that fight."

Ashido pressed her tongue against her cheek and stroke her chin. "But it is a real shame, Uzumaki-chan. You have a nice body and that mark ruined your appearance. I hope the person you fought with has a scar too because how can they hurt a cute girl like you?"

Her throat tightened, her nose clogged up and tears threatened to come out of her eyes. The blonde rubbed her eyes, turning away from them. Trying to not cry was difficult, probably more difficult than the times she forced herself to smile at her customers, but focusing on the window made things easier for her.

_Why didn't you bring him back?_

Her throat dried up even more as moist green eyes played before her eyes.

_What do you know of my pain?_

Her heart screamed and twisted in agony.

"You are a very strong person, Uzumaki," Jirou observed. The blonde blinked and twisted her head around to meet thoughtful black eyes. The older girl rubbed her back and hummed a small tune as everyone else gathered a round her sleeping bag. "I don't think I would be willing to keep that reminder on me."

Mumbles of agreement echoed from everyone in the room, forming into one loud wave that crashed over her. Naruto gulped down the lump and flickered her eyes to the crescent moon. _You are useless. _That was what she would hear whenever she looked at the scar, but Jirou made it seem like the scar could be a symbol of her strength.

"_It is symbol of your idiocy,"_ The Kyuubi grumbled in the depths of her mind. Naruto blinked and knitted her eyebrows. For the last three years, the chakra beast had been silent. Not once did he talk to her, allowing her to forget of what she was but now a wave of dread crashed over her at his grumpy voice.

Naruto grunted. "_I thought you would be happy since you will be free from your shackles._"

"_I would be forced to reform and that is a headache, Brat,_" The Kyuubi replied. _"But I would rather reform then deal with you two going at it like rabbits! You Uzumaki women can't keep it to your pants."_

Her cheeks burned at those words.

* * *

_Only three students in the no-kill list._

Dabi flipped through the list that Kurogiri had given them to memorize for their mission. Most of the names were meaningless to him. Nothing for him to care about. Their Quirks were listed right beside their name alongside any history that Shigaraki believed would be useful for them to consider when they engaged combat with them.

Most of them had nothing filled with the exception being his little brother. _The youngest son of Endeavour._ That was the only thing written in the column about his brother. There were more things that could be said. A shackled little boy. A fool. Naïve. Those were all the things he would write but it was not the right time to reveal his connection to Endeavour.

The stage needed to be huge and the world needed an awakening of what that _power-hungry _bastard was really like.

His turquoise eyes flickered to the bolded print of _Uzumaki Naruto._ The picture of a bright blond-haired girl with cerulean eyes was pasted right next to the image. She was a pretty girl and from what he recalled of the girl's performance, she was quite powerful. The perfect little bride in the eyes of that _bastard_. Dabi clenched his jaws together and looked down at the information presented.

_She lost her parents on the day she was born. On the very same day, Uzumaki Naruto became a weapon of war for her birthplace but was treated even worse than dirt._ Dabi traced the writing and flickered his eyes to Isamu, who kept a blank expression, before looking back down on the list. _The most powerful aspect of her abilities are linked to her emotional state. She is also a distant relative to the Uzushiokage._

"I changed my mind when it comes to the girl," Shigaraki informed them. His voice was as loud as a whisper but it was enough to draw everyone's attention to the man. He leaned his body back, locked eyes with Kabuto before flickering his red eyes at him. "She is a powerful cheat and her history would make her connect with our cause. Heroes treated her like dirt as well."

Isamu pressed his lips into a thin line, jaws clenched like he was trying his hardest not to scream at the man for changing his mind on the girl. The male clenched and unclenched his hands, kept darting his eyes to Kabuto like he wanted to blame him for Shigaraki's fickle mind. Kabuto only offered a polite smile and pushed his glasses up.

"Uzumaki Naruto is very stubborn," Kabuto commented. His tone sounded thoughtful while his black eyes gleamed with a hidden sadistic gleam. Dabi only frowned and looked down at the file. _You always have a home with us!_ Violet and green eyes appeared right before his eyes, making his heart ache in agony but the male shoved it away. Kabuto sighed. "It will be very difficult to convince her to join your causes."

Shigaraki tightened his grip on the paper and scratched his neck. "Society chained her and brainwashed her into thinking that heroes are the good guys. They put shackles on her and I will offer her a way to break those shackles."

Kabuto only offered a polite smile and nodded but Dabi did not miss the way those black eyes shone with amusement. Mocking. That was the better term to use to describe that gleamed in his eyes. He only pushed his glasses upwards before throwing a glance at the tight-jaw man standing right beside him.

"Well if you can convince Uzumaki Naruto to join you then it would be a better advantage to Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto picked up his offered drink and his eyes locked onto Isamu. "But all of you must remember Uzumaki Naruto cannot be killed."

Himiko pouted and folded her arms against her chest, reminiscent of a little child who had been told not to take candy from the candy jar. Twice only bobbed his head as his eyes continued to skim through the notes that Shigaraki and Kurogiri had given them. Magne grunted. Muscular scowled and looked at Kabuto like he stole all the fun away from him.

"I joined this group so I can kill that _little bitch_," Isamu growled. The furious words might not have boomed but it might as well have because everyone turned quiet. Blue eyes glowered with rage and flung a kunai at Kabuto. The gray-haired male caught the kunai, sweating only slightly but the fact he caught the flying kunai was impressive for Dabi.

He hadn't even seen the man take out his kunai.

"Killing her wouldn't be advisable for you since I'm sure that as a seal master that you know how the rumored wife of the Yellow Flash died," Kabuto commented. The smile on his face widened but it felt fake. No, it was fake. Dabi could practically feel the hum of sadistic joy behind the man's eyes. "You know what Uzumaki Kushina was, don't you?"

"Everyone knows," Isamu growled and glared at the smirking man. "An Uzumaki being sent out of her home village while the wife of the First Hokage was dying? Only fools wouldn't have connected the dots together."

The other members of the League of Villains snuck glances at each other before focusing their eyes on him. Dabi only grunted and shrugged his shoulder. What did they expect for him to say? He didn't know a damn thing about Isamu. There were only three facts that he knew about his mysterious roommate.

_The man had been a child solider. _

_He wanted to kill the daughter of the man who murdered his mother. _

_He was a foreigner._

Those were all the things he knew about Isamu. There was nothing else for him to know about this erratic man nor did he want to get to know him. Actually Dabi did not want to know anything about the people around him. Getting to know them would mean him forming attachment and attachment would make him go insane again.

"_To-niisan, I'm hurt! I thought Father would play with me."_

His chest tightened and his heart twisted in pain as pained, confused blue-grey eyes played before his eyes. Scarred fingers went down to the burnt marks before reaching for the scars that Tomoyo healed him from. He darted his eyes between the two tensed adult males in front of him as another memory flashed before his eyes.

"_Why does Father spent more time with you, To-niisan? Why does he ignore me?"_

Hurt, moist grey eyes appeared right in front of his eyes and Dabi felt his chest tightened even more. Natsuo had been fucking six when he questioned him. Six years old and starved from having the acknowledgment of that stupid old man that they were forced to call father. He grinded his teeth and stopped himself from smashing his fist on the table.

"…I don't give a shit of the damn consequence!"

Dabi blinked and jerked his head up. Blue eyes radiated with so much rage as they locked onto the calm man sitting right beside Shigaraki. Dark shadows decorated the man's face, almost making him resemble one of those monster that children would scream about at night, and the kunai dangling at his hand looked like it was going to be thrown at any minute.

The scarred man only thinned his lips. If the bastard went through with that erratic plan of his then Shouto would pay for the fucking consequence. Kabuto threatened him. His foolish, little brother had to get himself involved with a female who had an insane person in love with her. He was not going to let this bastard destroy his brother.

That was his job.

"If you kill that girl then neither me nor Orochimaru would care but I can't say the same for Sasuke-kun, Isamu-kun," Kabuto picked up his glasses and the smile on his face widened. "He might just come running here and kill you once I tell him who murdered his childhood friend. Sasuke-kun gets so irritable whenever someone brings her up."

* * *

**Author Note: So Naruto and Manadalay has a talk. Naruto opens up a little and we have a sneak peak of what is happening with the villains and Kabuto.** **Here are a couple of questions for you:**

**Question 1:** What do you think of the whole talk between Mandalay and Naruto?

**Question 2:** What do you think about the relationships developed throughout the three books?

**Question 3:** What do you think about the portrayal of the characters so far? And would you like me to go back to putting a couple of flashbacks every few chapters?

Please tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters.

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourite and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter

* * *

_What happened to Naruto-chan?_

Hinata could only asked this question as she placed the orange lilies into the white vase. It was the first time she visited Naruto since Tsunade finished the operation, not from the lack of trying. _Give her some time to recover._ That was what the Hokage told her and the moment the woman told her that she could visit Naruto, Hinata charged straight to the Yamanaka Flower shop to get her favorite flowers.

It was supposed to be a joyous day but it felt anything but a joyous day when Naruto's eyes looked so _dead._ This was the first time she had seen such a defeated look on the girl's eyes. _She always pick herself back up._ That was one of the things Hinata admired about the girl even before the two of them became the best friends.

She understood how difficult it could be for a person to pick themselves back up when so few people believed in her, but Naruto managed to do it. _That was what made her strong._ People would call her best friend cocky but Hinata knew the truth. That behind her friend fake confidence was someone filled with as much insecurities as her.

"_Naruto-chan,"_ her best friend did not perk up or put on that _fake_ smile to reassure her that everything was fine. But Naruto only stared up at the ceiling with dead eyes. Hinata felt her throat tightened and she wondered whether to continue on or not. She should stop but that would be giving up. Naruto-chan taught her better than to give up. _"I-I heard what happened with Sasuke…do you wanna talk about it?"_

The grief in those blue eyes intensified, looking like a sea of grief and Hinata felt her heart twist with pain and anger. No, rage would be a better description. She wanted to charge straight to Orochimaru's lair and strike Sasuke at the heart for putting those wounds in Naruto. Hinata knew the blonde wouldn't want that to happen but she _warned_ him of what she would do if he hurt Naruto.

She exhaled and tried to steady her arms as her pale lavender eyes locked onto Naruto. Her heart howled with pain, chest tightening at the grief that was not fading away. _This isn't Naruto._ The girl never allowed herself to sink like this, not even when Ino had been a little _cruel girl_ for reminding her of her lack of parents.

Not when the teachers had been cruel to her and excluded her for the slightest single mistake.

_I need to try even more to get her to talk._

Releasing another breath, Hinata smoothed her outfit and thought of another question to get her to talk. She didn't want her to smile. That would be so wrong. Naruto and Sasuke were each other first friends. They played together, had sleep overs and knew each other's secrets. It would have been strange if the girl smiled and bounced right back but for her to look at the world with _dead eyes_ was even worse.

"_**Cry? I'm not gonna cry, Hinata-chan! You see this smile? It means that I'm happy and nothing can break me!"**_

Hinata clenched her jaws together as cheerful, warm blue eyes flashed right before her. She wanted those eyes again because even if it had been fake…_it was filled with life_. If people ever called her lifeless or boring then Naruto-chan was filled with life. Every day with the blonde was a day filled with laughter and smiles.

There wasn't even a shred of tear coming out of Naruto's eyes.

"_Naruto-chan, did you eat?"_ Hinata questioned. She knew the answer already because the tray of food sat right next to the table, untouched and uneaten. This was bad. Her best friend might hate hospitals and their food but she would always try to eat the meal provided to her. For the blonde not to even touch her food made her stomach curled with worry.

The blonde did not even shake her head, only staring blankly at the wall. _It is like she is dead to the world._ Hinata could feel tears building up behind her eyes but the blue-haired girl sniffed and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't let herself cry just yet. It might be one of those days when Naruto-chan felt a cloud of despair on her.

Except Naruto-chan would still respond in some way or form.

She wasn't even attempting to lift herself up from the bed.

"_Naruto-chan, did Sakura visit you?"_

At first glance, it would look like Naruto didn't react but Hinata had always been observant when it came to the girl who lit up her world. Those blue eyes only intensified with grief and the blue-haired girl clenched her jaws together. Of course. It had to be the pink-haired girl who never attempted to get to know the girl properly.

_Why does Naruto-chan try so hard with the girl who never appreciates her?_

Naruto would tell her that Sakura did appreciate her because they ate ramen together, but Hinata always knew better. Sakura would only agree to eat ramen when Sasuke decided to eat ramen with Naruto. The pink-haired girl was probably sharp and realized the boy would do this to keep the girl happy. The girl would never eat the meal with the blonde if Sasuke wasn't there.

Between the two teammates that the girl had been assigned to, Hinata always preferred Sasuke over Sakura. Not because of the fact the three of them used to play together but because the boy did care about the girl. _He tried to make up to the girl with ramen and helping her with her own training._ She grimaced and eyed the bandages wrapped around Naruto.

_I just never expect him to go this far with Naruto and if that __**fool**__ wakes up from that cloud of hate around him, then I will stop him from pursuing Naruto._

She grabbed the girl's bandaged arms and looked out to the window. _Hey Hinata-chan, do you ever think someone would ever love me like how you love Kiba?_ Her throat burned at the memory. The answer had always been a yes but at the time, she thought it would be Sasuke but love didn't make you try to kill someone.

_Naruto-chan deserved better than this and if Hinata ever see Sasuke again then she was going to smack him hard on the head. She wished agony on the boy because no matter how important his revenge was…putting Naruto in this state __**made him no better than Itachi.**_

"_Just talk to me, Naruto-chan."_

It was the final plea for the day but she was a fool to think that it would be enough to wake Naruto up from the cloud of grief. _I will try again tomorrow._ Until the blonde snapped out of this, the blue-haired girl had no plans of abandoning her. She was going to find a way to get the girl to respond to her.

"_She won't __**even**__ respond to you, either."_

The familiar voice of Tsunade made Hinata twist her head around to stare at the blond-haired woman. Sadness decorated Tsunade's eyes and Hinata wanted to blame the woman for sending everyone to that _ungrateful_ boy. But she couldn't do it. She knew Naruto-chan. The girl would have gone anyway because Sasuke was her brother in everything but blood.

Because Naruto remembered Mikoto everyday and knew what the kind woman wouldn't have wanted for her youngest son.

"_W-What exactly happened to Naruto-chan?"_ Hinata stared at the grief-stricken eyes and then swirled her head back to the woman. For the first time in her life, the blue-haired girl allowed the anger and hysteria to come out of her tone. _"You told me that she was going to be fine! What part of this is fine, Hokage-sama!"_

Tsunade looked at her for the longest time before allowing her eyes to drift to Naruto. The Fifth Hokage frowned but did not glare at her for her behavior. Understanding shone through her honey-brown eyes like she understood what she was going through. Did the woman know that no words were coming out of her mouth? That the girl filled with sunshine and hope felt like a former shell of herself.

"_I can heal her physical wounds,"_ Tsunade finally said. Hinata blinked and stared at the woman for the longest time, not understanding what the woman was going with this. _"But the wounds to her mind and emotions are something out of my capabilities as a medical nin. This is something I don't even know how to heal. What Naruto is experiencing…the only person who could understand her condition, is dead."_

* * *

"_Father, my team will have a two month long recon mission to Japan."_

Hinata kept her attention focused on her father, not allowing herself to tremble. Hiashi did not show any emotion or made any indication that she could stand up from her kneeling position. The man only regarded her with blank eyes as the birds chirps filled in the silence in the living room. With the lack of movement in his face, the girl had no clue of what to think was going through her stern-faced father's mind.

After a couple of seconds, her father finally replied. "You made the request to the Hokage-sama."

The blue-haired teen kept her face as blank as possible, not allowing her eyes to widened at the matter-of-fact tone coming from her father's mouth. Her heart pounded against her chest and her palms began to moisten. It would be a matter of minutes before her father would scold her for being selfish for making this demand to the Hokage.

The economy was bad. People were selling everything in a lower price with the hopes that people would buy, but the fact was that the price of food was more important to the civilians than anything else. If it wasn't for the fact that they were shinobi and were better paid than most civilians then they would be in the same boat.

To make sure that everyone was happy, they were supposed to take missions that would better their economy. The recon mission came out of Konoha own pocket as the Daimyo did not see any value of recon with Japan.

"I used to dislike your friendship with Uzumaki Naruto," her father continued on. Hinata blinked and tilted her head as Hiashi looked out to the photo of him with his uncle. He shifted his eyes to the photo of her uncle with his own genin team, his white eyes lingered the most on the red-haired girl standing right besides his Uncle. "However your friendship with Naruto yielded benefits. You are no longer a girl who lacks self-confidence…you became a worthy heir to the Hyuga Clan."

The words made her heart soar with delight, but at the same time her stomach churned with sadness of what her actions meant for herself. _You may be the heiress but you still have to marry a man from our clan._ That had been her grandfather's words to her when her father reinstated her as the heiress of the Hyuga Clan.

The floors creaked and Hinata twisted her head around to stare at Hanabi, who stood right behind the door. The 10-year-old girl might have hidden her body but her small head peaked through the door. Curiosity and sadness shone through her sister's eyes. _Are you happy with your decision to take back your spot?_ That was what those sad eyes of her little sister told her.

Hinata nodded and looked back at her father. "Thank you, Father."

Her father nodded and stood up from his sitting position. Hinata frowned as the man made his way to the small table that stood right next to the couch. The floors squeaked and the drawer opened with a slight hiss like a snake. The 15-year-old girl darted her eyes to Hanabi, who only frowned at their father's actions.

"You can come in Hanabi," her father called out, not looking away from the drawer. "What I'm about to give to your sister will pertain you in the future. You may be 10 but in a couple of years, you will start to have a desire to have a family."

Hinata coughed while her little sister wrinkled her nose. The young girl scowled and slid the door wide opened before making her way to take her spot right beside her. Hanabi schooled her own expression into a blank look but the young girl slid her hand right next to her. Hinata quirked her lips into a smile and offered a reassuring squeeze to her sister's hand.

"I have a personal _mission _for you, Hinata," Hiashi informed her as he took a seat right in front of the table. The two daughters exchanged glances as the dark-haired man slid a scroll to her. The scroll had a yellow tint and covered with dust like it had been sitting in that drawer for years. "I want you to deliver this scroll to the Head of the Uzumaki Clan."

Silence filled the living room as Hinata gingerly picked up the scroll from the table. Her pale-lavender eyes inspected the scroll carefully, noting that there was a tiny note written on the edge of the scroll. _To Kenji-san._ Kenji? That name sounded unfamiliar to her but the elegent writing was not unfamiliar to her.

It was her father's writing.

"Father, what is this…"

"I know that I have not been the most loving father to either of you nor a good uncle to your cousin," her father interrupted before Hanabi could finish asking her question. Both girls frowned and exchanged glances as their father looked out to the photo of him with his brother. "I have been very strict in your training and not once I have ever vocalize my pride for the three of you. But I'm willing to correct my mistake."

The words hung in the air as Hinata processed what her father was telling them. Not once did her father ever make any comments to her or Hanabi and her stomach churned with an unfamiliar emotion at what her father had just told them. She stole a glance at Hanabi, who only blinked at the man.

"What are you trying to tell us, Father?" Hanabi finally asked. The younger girl knitted her eyebrows together and tilted her head to the side while Hinata stared at her blank-faced father. An idea came to her mind. Was it possible that the man wanted to help her accomplish her dream for the clan? Her eyes darted down to the scroll.

It felt lighter but Hinata needed to confirm her suspicion with her father.

"You plan to get rid of the seal." Hinata kept her expression blank and did not allow the hope to come out of her voice as her little sister swirled her head at the man. Her father did not smile or acknowledge whether she was right or not. He simply looked to the photo of her uncle with a quiet, thoughtful eyes before staring back at them. "But why go to the Uzumaki Clan?"

"Because they are masters when it comes to seals," Hanabi replied. "We learnt about them yesterday."

Pale lavender eyes widened as her father nodded. He looked to the photo of her uncle with his fellow genin teammates, pale eyes focusing on the smiling red-haired girl. Hinata frowned and stared at the girl in the photo frame. _She looks like Naruto-chan except she has red hair and violet eyes._ The photo was a rather new addition when Hinata thought about it.

Her father didn't put the photo in the shelf until Naruto was exiled from Konoha.

"I heard Uzumaki Kenji became the Head of the Uzumaki Clan," her father finally said. "He was the cousin of your Uncle's teammate. He is one of the best seal masters."

Hinata felt her heart flutter but then it crashed as she fully processed what her father had just said. A small frown played on her lips and the girl flickered her eyes to her little sister. The young girl knitted her eyebrows together into one thin line. It seemed like the both of them had the same question running through their mind but Hanabi didn't seem to have the courage to vocalize the question.

Her heart pounded against her chest and Hinata dug her nails against the palm of her hand, trying to stop the trembles that threatened to consume her. Taking a deep breath, the girl finally asked. "Why now?"

"Your grandfather is gone," her father simply replied. No emotion leaked out of his tone despite the fact it had been only a couple of weeks since the old man passed away in his sleep. Hinata didn't know what was the exact nature of her father's feelings towards the elder man, who encouraged him to disinherit her but the girl knew her own feelings.

When the old man passed away, all the girl felt was a huge weight on her shoulder being released. She, no longer, had to feel like she always had to watch over her shoulder. _Naruto-chan always thought it was Father who hurt me the most._ Her father had been loving when her mother had been alive but her grandfather had always been a different story for her.

There had always been a subtle warmth in her father's eyes while her grandfather lacked any emotion in his eyes.

"You tried to break the seal, didn't you Father?"

Her father did not give a reply but the heavy shadows that coated his face told her everything. Hinata nodded but chose not to say anything while Hanabi blinked at the knowledge, looking almost taken back at this knowledge. _The signs has always been there._ When they disinherited her as an heiress, the man refused to give her the same seal that branded Neji.

When Hanabi had been removed as heiress, her father had refused to give in to her grandfather's suggestion. _Grandfather was furious with Father for refusing both times._ It had been the rare times her father did not do what the old man wanted, which should have been the clue of her father's feelings towards the seal.

"Did you tell Neji-niisan of your plans?" Hinata asked, smoothing the wrinkles of her own outfit. Hanabi nodded and flickered her eyes at her before darting her eyes at their stern-faced father. A sense of doubt crawled up in her stomach. If Neji was freed of his burden then did they have to fight again over who should be the heir of the clan? Was it only for Neji-niisan? Or were the other branch members included?

Her father took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't want to raise his or the other branch members hopes up if Uzumaki Kenji cannot finish what his cousin started. Both of you will keep this a secret from Neji and the other members of the clan. The elders cannot know this until Hinata comes back with the Uzushiokage reply."

Hinata nodded and picked up the scroll, relaxing her shoulders. If this man, who was a distant relative of Naruto-chan, could do this then the members of her clan would be grateful to the man. _The clan will begin to change even more with the destruction of the seal._ There could be some hope again.

There might be a day where the members of both branches could be able to play together without the fear of that _horrendous_ seal being activated.

* * *

"So not only are the three of us going to do recon, but we are also going to be staying with Jiraiya-sama and doing a mental assessment on Naruto?"

Hinata nodded and steadied her hands. The afternoon sun blazed with all of its glory as her two teammates processed over the run down of their two month long mission. With the upturn collar alongside his dark-rounded glasses and the hoodie, it was rather difficult for the blue-haired girl to know what the older boy was feeling about the new mission.

Kiba, on the other hand, was rather easy for Hinata to read. His eyebrows knitted together into one line while a frown played on his lips. Akamaru kept flickering his eyes between them but that wiggle on his tail told the blue-haired girl that the dog was excited at the knowledge that he could see Naruto.

"It will be interesting to see Naruto," Shino finally commented. The boy slumped against the tree trunk and pushed his glasses upwards before flickering his eyes at Kiba. "It has been three years since Hokage-sama exiled her."

Kiba flinched at the reminder while Hinata closed her eyes. Only the gentle breeze of the wind whistling could be heard between them as their eyes focused on the children running about without a care in the world. Their giggles filled the air too. Their happiness made Hinata's stomach churned with sadness as dulled blue eyes filled her vision.

_I am doing research on how to snap her out of it, Hinata but Naruto's case is the most severe case that I have ever seen. Not even the First Hokage ended up to her state and my grandfather went through familiar bouts of emotions like Naruto._

Hinata exhaled and looked down at her hands as concerned honey brown eyes flashed before her eyes. Her heart screamed and cried at the knowledge that not even the best medic in the world had known what was the main problem with Naruto. The pain in her heart faded as apologetic blue eyes played before her eyes.

It didn't matter anymore because Naruto was better now, but it could be the girl pretending to be fine again. _She was always good at pretending things didn't bother her._ Her stomach churned. It did not make sense for the girl to go to Japan but maybe the countries outside of the Elemental Countries had been able to do, what Tsunade failed to do.

She prayed to every god out there that the girl did not revert back to being a shell of her former self.

"Is it even a good idea for the three of us to come along with you?" Kiba asked. The older male propped himself against the tree, one large hand stroking Akamaru's fur as his brown eyes focused on her. Her heart fluttered but the blue-haired girl shoved the feelings into a tiny treasure chest that could never be opened again.

Akamaru barked and the birds soared away from the trees. Leaves fell down to the ground and the tree groaned as if a huge weight had been lifted. Hinata exhaled and looked at the older boy carefully again, now that the emotion had been safely locked up in a chest. So much guilt shone through his brown eyes. Shino opened his mouth to make a comment, only to close it when Kiba looked away from them.

"Do you still feel guilty for not checking up on Naruto-chan?"

The question hung in the air and the world around them dead quiet at what she asked. Kiba rubbed the back of his neck, meeting her own pale lavender eyes but never meeting the curious eyes of Shino. He knelt down and rubbed Akamaru's fur. Wrinkles formed on the top of his forehead, hinting of the deep thought running through his mind.

"I fucked things up when it came to Naruto," Kiba finally admitted. He looked at her and Hinata nodded, not bothering to correct him in his presumption. Shino nodded and took a step forward but the blue-haired girl grabbed hold of her teammate's sleeve. Even though her crush was right about his actions, it would be wrong to put a kunai against the wound.

She exhaled and knelt down till she met Kiba at eye level. "Kiba-kun, you know Naruto-chan will understand things if you explained why you never checked up on her. She will forgive you when she sees how genuinely sorry you are to her."

_Naruto-chan will even forgive you if you weren't genuinely sorry._ A bitter taste crept up to her mouth as Hinata focused up on the drifting clouds above them. A memory played before her eyes of bright blue eyes. Her heart screamed and her blood burned with fury like it always did whenever she recalled all the times that the girl forgave her pink-haired teammate for her _insensitive _words.

"_Sakura-chan doesn't mean it, Hinata-chan! She just doesn't…know any better!"_

She should know better because Sakura had parents. _If that girl knew the way Naruto acts is because she had no parents to teach her then what the hell is her excuse?_ Hinata exhaled and inhaled, trying to calm down her raging heart. If Naruto-chan knew of all the insults that came to her mind then the girl would be so upset with her.

"Naruto has always been the forgiving type," Shino commented. Hinata blinked and twisted her head around at the older boy, who regarded the two of them with careful eyes. "No matter how badly Sakura-san treated her or even how Ino tried to ruin her life, Naruto always forgave them even when they hurt her. She forgave Neji even though he hurt you."

Hinata dug her fingers against the palm of her hand as Kiba grimaced. If Team Ten was close to Sakura then Team Eight was close to Naruto. All three of them had seen the way Sakura treated the blond-haired girl. _Lazy, idiot and baby._ That had been what the girl described the whiskered teen. The girl acted like she knew what Naruto was and that made her blood boiled.

"_Uchiha, talk some sense into Sakura! She listens to you!"_

She grinded her teeth together.

"_I talk sense into her and it will make Naruto's problem even worse, Hyuga. Naruto doesn't need to be babied! She is stronger than you think!"_

Hinata wanted to find that boy and tell him that Naruto cracked because of _his ignorance_ of the problem. _He thought because Naruto didn't allow herself to wallow up in her pain like he did, that she could handle Sakura's words._ It was nice to have faith but he did not understand the meaning of cruelty in words.

"Y'know I think it is pretty funny how Naruto could attack like a monster but act like an angel in the next minute," Kiba snorted. "Remember what she did to Ami when she called her an ugly, little fox?"

Hinata nodded. "Ami cried for a whole day and tried to make herself the victim but she had it coming."

"Iruka-sensei didn't even try to make Naruto tell the truth," Shino observed. "He believed Ami's story even though you tried to tell him that Ami started the whole fight by insulting her."

The blue-haired girl grimaced and smoothed the edges of her clothes. She liked Iruka-sensei but that action of believing Ami even when Naruto had been hurt was something she would always hold against him. _Ami has always been the one to bully the girls._ She clicked her tongue together and exhaled.

"How the hell could Iruka-sensei believe Hinata when all those _bitches_ lied and Naruto kept quiet? They accused Naruto of starting the fight when they were _stupid_ enough to anger her," Kiba retorted. Shino nodded while the blue-haired girl thinned her lips at the reminder of the terrible habit that the blonde had.

Naruto would never tell a teacher that she had been provoked, not after what happened with _Hiraoka_-sensei.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Hinata finally said. She quirked her lips into a faint smile and the two boys exchanged glances, paling at the smile that played on her lips. Her stomach fluttered with joy as she recalled the state that Ami was in. "The merchants had to be taxed heavily to get back the money that had been taken away from Konoha."

Shino nodded. "It was billions worth of ryo."

"I heard it is because the council didn't honor the contract between Naruto's clan and them," Kiba observed. Hinata blinked at this piece of information being leaked out. "It must have been one hell of a contract for the Uzumaki Clan to take away so much money from the village. Not that I'm complaining because having more missions is more fun than us lazing around in the village."

Shino sighed. "It will be years before we can get the economy back up because we have to make our missions cheaper to get more clients."

If that money went to Naruto then Hinata didn't mind the fact that they were being pressured to do more missions.

* * *

**Author Note: **So Hiashi wants the Uzumaki Clan to break the seal. Hinata recalls the first time she had seen Naruto after what happened with Sasuke and Kiba feels guilty for not checking up on Naruto. Here are a couple of questions for you to think about:

**Question 1**: What do you think of Hinata's memory?

**Question 2**: What do you think of the knowledge that Hiashi tried to break the seal earlier? What do you think made him stop?

**Question 3:** What do you think of the glimpse of the relationship between Hinata and Naruto?

Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except any original characters mentioned in the story.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favorite and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.**

* * *

"_Even when go to bed early, you still look grumpy."_

Naruto rubbed her eyes and let out a small yawn before darting her eyes to her boyfriend. Faint amusement shone through his heterochromia eyes and a tiny, faint smile played on his lips. The wideness of his eyes alongside the fact his hair didn't look one bit messed up made her sigh. She darted her eyes and felt her eyebrows twitch when she saw how Midoriya bounced in his spot.

"Only the devil likes waking up this early in the morning!" Naruto scowled and folded her arms against her chest as her blue eyes darted to the two boys in front of her. "I'm a normal human being unlike you and Midoriya!"

Shouto hummed and raised his eyebrow at her. Naruto only deepened her scowl and stared at the scenery right in front of her. The early morning sunlight tickled in, shining over his hair and making the boy look more angelic than ever. A few birds chirped in the background as if they had no concept of time. The other students looked just as exhausted as she felt if their yawns were of any indication.

"You do realize that you just called a quarter of the world population the devil?" Shouto tilted his head and almost had a smug look in his face. Naruto only eyed him while Bakugou swirled his head around to glare at them. Red eyes were coloured with exhaustion and her relative's hair looked even more like a mess, sticking out in all direction like a porcupine.

"I ain't changing mind cuz they are definitely not human for being so cheerful in the morning!" Naruto grumbled, folding her arms against her chest. Her eyes darted to her female classmates, who kept rubbing their eyes, before flickering to the boys. Most of them couldn't meet her eyes and their cheeks flushed a faint shade of red. "I can't even sleep properly cuz of the snoring."

The dual-toned boy bobbed his head and looked at her for the longest time. The only sound that could be heard were the yawns of the other students or the excited chatter of Midoriya to Iida. Naruto raised a single eyebrow. What was going through his mind? She didn't mind the lack of sleep because it didn't allow her to recall back to that day.

"You should tire yourself out so you don't notice it," he suggested. Blankness coated his eyes as he flickered his eyes from her to the other girls before looking back at her. He slid his hands back into the pocket of his gym outfit while Naruto decided to take it as an opportunity to lean closer to him.

She darted her eyes at her boyfriend and thought back to his words. There was a lot of logic in his words but a part of her felt the intense desire to tease the hell out of him. If she had to endure being woken up in the early morning then Naruto wanted to see the boy getting flustered. It would make her day and help her forget the fact Aizawa-sensei was evil for making them wake up before the sun rose.

"Do you wanna help me get tire out?" Naruto finally whispered into his ear. She took a step back and offered the boy an innocent look, waiting for the inevitable blush to come out. He was going to either question her about her meaning or give her other suggestions. If she was lucky then he would understand what she meant.

Mismatch eyes looked down at her with a careful look like he was actually considering her words. His eyes skimmed down from her hair to her eyes before landing on her lips. The slight heat in his eyes made her stomach squirmed and Naruto recalled the rather heated, possessive kiss he gave her. _He isn't actually thinking about it?_ Naruto inspected him carefully.

Her stomach fluttered with nerves and her cheeks burned with embarrassment at the realization that _he was actually considering it._

"Homeostasis, you know I don't actually mean…not now I mean…maybe…" The words jumbled out of her mouth as the whiskered teen tugged on the end of her ponytail. Shouto continued to maintain a blank expression, only raising a single eyebrow at her and the blonde tried to calm down her speeding heart, hoping to find the courage to explain things in a rational manner.

"I know," Naruto blinked and Shouto looked down at her. There was a slight teasing glint in his mismatch eyes and the whiskered teen only gawked at him as her mind shut down at his words. "It would be too soon for either of us."

Staring at those blue-grey eyes, the blonde felt her cheeks burned and her chest tightening up at his words. A little bubble of laugh wanted to jump out of her mouth but Naruto swallowed it down. She only waited for her brain to rewire itself and processed the full extent of what his words meant.

"If you knew what I meant," Naruto darted her eyes everywhere and looked away when Ashido stared at them with gleaming eyes. The blonde jerked her finger and the pink-skinned girl pouted. Once the blonde was certain the girl was not going to overhear them, she continued. "Then why aren't you—"

"If I keep quiet and actually pretend to considerate it then you would be the one to get flustered," he replied. No emotion or smile decorated his expression but there was a little gleam of amusement and teasing in his eyes. Naruto gawked at him as her cheeks burned a bright shade of red. The boy smiled slightly. "I like seeing you get flustered. You look prettier when your cheeks are red."

Naruto squeaked and covered her face with her hands while Shouto hummed, not looking at all wide-eyed at what he just told her. Where was the Shouto, who would get confused and flustered by her actions? How the hell did the tables quickly turned on her? This was a change in him that made her want to squirm because it meant…_she was the prey_ for once.

Mineta twisted his head around and glared at Shouto. If kunais and shuriken could be shot from his eyes then it wouldn't surprise the girl if her boyfriend would be dead from the glare. Naruto narrowed her eyes at him while her boyfriend only raised an eyebrow at the grumpy short boy before them. After a couple of seconds, the little boy scowled and looked away from them.

"How the fuck can the two of you be so damn talkative this early in the morning?" Bakugou growled from right beside Shouto. He threw a glare at them, eyed her red cheeks before narrowing his eyes at Shouto.

Shouto only shrugged. "The same way you can growl this early in the morning."

The blonde snorted and covered her mouth to stop the laugh from escaping her throat before darting her eyes at the two boys. Her half-cousin glared at the mismatch-haired boy, lips curled into a vicious scowl while Shouto only stared blankly at him. Naruto shook her head and paused at the realization that several eyes were on them.

Aizawa cleared his throat, lips curled into a bored look while his black eyes shot warning looks at the three of them. The two boys only grunted while Naruto offered a sheepish smile to their teacher. A few of the students only eyed them with envy while a couple of students, like Uraraka, regarded the three of them like they were insane for being this loud in the morning.

"Good morning, everyone!" Aizawa barked. The students forced themselves to stand up properly and uttered their greeting back to their stern-faced teacher. He waited for a couple of seconds before continuing on. "Today, we will begin the training camp to increase your strength. The goal of this training camp is to increase everyone's strength and with that, for everyone to obtain their provisional license."

Naruto knitted her eyebrows together, leaned closer to Shouto and whispered. "What the hell is the provisional license?"

"It is a typical ID card that allows you to act as a hero without the instructions of a hero," her boyfriend replied. He offered her a barely visible smile and the whiskered teen relaxed her shoulders. The worry inside of her faded away like the fading darkness in the sky as mismatch eyes looked at her with understanding.

Aizawa cleared his throat and Naruto jerked her head at their teacher. Tired black eyes looked at her, glinting with slight irritation and the whiskered teen widened her eyes and offered him a pout, looking like an apologetic kitten. The man stared at her for a good thirty seconds before grunting and continuing on with his speech.

Behind her back, the blonde made a victory sign.

"This is to prepare all of you to face hostilities that are becoming more real by the minute, so proceed carefully," Aizawa said. He pulled out a familiar ball from his pocket and tossed the ball at her. Naruto raised her hand, caught the ball and knitted her eyebrows together. Their teacher sighed. "Naruto, try throwing that."

The blonde nodded and gestured for everyone to stand back from her. She rubbed the back of her arm and began channeling chakra into her arms. Last time they did this was when she had been a little bit rusty. _My chakra control is better now, so I won't be putting too little chakra this time around._ Aizawa regarded her.

"Last time you threw the ball, you went over 3 kilometers," Aizawa replied. Naruto nodded and scrunched her eyebrows together as she focused on the gauge in her mind. _Find the perfect balance like how Jiraiya and Sakura taught me_. "Let us see how much you have improved."

She could see the gauge in her mind as she channeled the chakra to the palm of her hand. It had been difficult to control her chakra as a child but the video games in the arcade helped her. If she just visualized her chakra like this then maybe she could channel enough chakra to throw it further than the distance before.

Dimly, Naruto could also hear the voices of her classmates.

"It has been an intense three months so I say Uzumaki will throw over 4 kilometers," Sero declared.

_Almost there._

The moment she felt the perfect balance for the throw, Naruto flung the ball with all of her strength and the added chakra into the ball. Whispers broke out from behind her while Aizawa observed the phone in his hand. His black eyes revealed nothing, not allowing her to gauge whether or not her score surprised him.

In a faint distance, the ball crashed down to the ground and Naruto blinked when her teacher frowned. He darted his eyes from his phone and then to her before looking back at the phone. A couple of seconds passed before the man finally decided to hold out his phone for everyone to see the score.

"30 kilometers."

"That is way above what we expected!" Sero cried.

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck, moved her feet back and forth as Aizawa knitted his eyebrows together. No other sound erupted from the class and only the sound of the birds chirping their merry song filled the air. Sweat clung to everyone's skin as their teacher made no attempt to say anything.

After a couple of minutes, the man pulled out another ball and tossed it straight at Bakugou. The boy caught the ball, lips curled into a scowl while everyone else raised their eyebrows at their teacher.

"What Uzumaki did wasn't supposed to happen," Aizawa cleared his throat while everyone knitted their eyebrows at the comment. Naruto frowned and tilted her head as the man reset the meter in his device. "Bakugou will demonstrate what is actually supposed to happen after three months of training. He will also act as a comparison."

Bakugou twisted his lips into a scowl and dragged his feet towards her. Irritation colored his eyes as the older boy gently shoved her to the side. Kirishima and a couple of the boys frowned while the blonde sighed. _He knows that it isn't a fair comparison. _Shaking her head, the girl resumed back to her position beside Shouto.

The older boy slid his feet back, steadying his stance and sparks began to erupt from his hand. Smoke spluttered, sparks fizzed out between his fingers and the ball exploded from his hand like a cannon ball from a cannon. It launched through the air like a sky rocket and Naruto squinted her eyes to see what was about to happen.

"Drop dead!"

Naruto whistled as the ball sailed fast and far out of sight. Bakugou curled his lips into a scowl and threw a glance at Aizawa, who relaxed his shoulders and looked like the world returned back to its original order.

"709.6 meters," Aizawa held out the meter and looked at the boy. "Your previous score was 705.2."

The words hung in the air like a heavy blanket as everyone flickered their eyes between them. Confusion colored their eyes and almost everyone tilted their heads between them. Only the chirps of crickets filled the air while the members of Class A tried to wrap their head around the differences between them.

"It has been three months since you started school," Aizawa started calmly. His black eyes flickered from the scowling boy before fixating on the whiskered teen. "Through various experiences, all of you definitely have improved. For most of you, the improvement has been to a mental and technical level. As you can see from Bakugou, your Quirks themselves, have not improved that much."

Kirishima frowned. "Why did Uzumaki increase so much then?"

Everyone swirled their heads at the whiskered teen, who had the largest increase and the blonde rubbed the back of her neck. Heat flooded her face as several eyes looked at her like she was an alien from outer space. Her palms moistened as Aizawa rubbed his chin, black eyes not revealing any emotion to her.

"I suck when it comes to control," Naruto finally admitted. Several eyes widened and the blonde cleared her throat. "I was born with too much energy but the cost of me having so much energy, I don't have much control. When I threw the ball the first time…I tried not to use too much chakra but I ended up using too little."

Aizawa sighed.

"We will all agree that Uzumaki is an exception to what I just said."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

"_Uzumaki, we will need to figure out how to work on your Quirk with you."_

Naruto blinked and tilted her head at Aizawa. Her teacher stood right in front of her with a clipboard at one hand as his black eyes focused on her. The other students stole a glance at her before making their way to their respective stations that have been assigned to them. The sun had only risen slightly, its rays striking in every direction looking almost like a scene from a painting.

"What do you mean?" The blonde plopped down on the ground and crossed her legs together as Aizawa regarded her with thoughtful eyes. She inhaled and exhaled, calming down her thumping heart before offering a frown at her teacher. The man only thinned his lips and looked down at his clipboard again.

"Your Quirk is…very unique with a unique drawback," Aizawa observed. Naruto nodded and the man continued to skim through the notes. "From the observation made during our lessons alongside the showing in the Sports Festival, we saw that you can use your Quirk to do a lot of things. However neither I nor any of the teachers can figure out what needs to be improved on."

Naruto nodded and rubbed her chin as black eyes shone with irritation. The birds chirped while the squirrels dashed down from the trees and straight towards the fallen nuts on the ground. It did not really surprise her and she knew what the man had planned on but she wanted to make clear of her drawback. She exhaled.

"I don't need to increase my chakra output," Naruto poked her tongue against her cheek and cracked her knuckle. "If I used up all of my chakra then I will literally die."

"You mentioned this as a drawback in your submission form," The black-haired man replied with a grimace. He scanned the file again before flickering his eyes at the surrounding students, who were already in position to begin her training. His eyes landed back at her, looking almost frustrated that he did not know what to help her with. Those eyes looked back down at the file like he was trying to figure out what would work.

Naruto stroke her chin as her stomach twisted with an unfamiliar emotion. Very few teachers actually went this far to try and figure out what to help her with. Kakashi handed her over to Ebisu because she needed to master her basics while he trained Sasuke. _If my problem were my basics then why the hell didn't he correct me earlier?_ She grimaced.

"I have been working on my Quirk with my Guardian," the blonde admitted. The wind whistled and blew her ponytail back as Aizawa blinked at this piece of information. Her blue eyes focused on her teacher for a good couple of seconds before moving to Shouto. The younger boy peeled off his gym jacket and jumped into the barrel of water. The water splashed and crashed to the ground.

"You mean to tell me that the Erotic Writer knows how to train your Quirk?" Aizawa asked. Naruto blinked and twisted her head around to stare at the black-haired man, who rubbed his chin. His tone sounded like they were talking about the weather even though his black eyes widened like the whole idea was odd.

The blonde sighed. "Jiraiya and I have similar Quirks."

Aizawa nodded but the corner of his lips tugged down till it formed a frown. Not that the man ever smiled because the blonde rarely saw her teacher smile. He darted his eyes at the other students, lingering on Midoriya the most. The older boy kept moving his arms and legs in a crisscross direction, looking like one of those trainers in those home exercise videos that Jiraiya loved to watch.

"Then do you wish to continue with what he had been training with you?"

Frowning, Naruto knitted her eyebrows together and contemplated carefully. The Senjutsu portion of her training was nearly perfect except for the fact she couldn't fuse with Shima and Fukasaku because the Kyuubi made it difficult. She could try to overcome that problem and try to use shadow clones, but Jiraiya would be irritated with her if she tried to do it without either him or the Toads watching her.

If she did not want Jiraiya to threaten to stop her training then she better do the smart thing and worked on something else. _I should work on the chakra chains._ That was something she just learnt and it made her blood boil at the fact that it took her a whole month to learn how to make them.

"There is something else that I wanna work on," the blonde admitted, trying and failing not to wince. Her ears cried out in pain as Bakugou screamed from right behind her as explosions pierced through the air. Aizawa raised a single eyebrow, not looking one bit fazed by the sudden scream. "It is a rather new aspect of my Quirk."

The noise around her became muffled against her ears and Naruto fiddled with her hand. Her blue eyes could not meet the searching gaze of her teacher, not when her heart pounded like an angry gorilla in a cage or when her palms dripped with sweat. She inhaled, felt her ribs cracked with relief and then exhaled.

"A new aspect?"

Naruto nodded.

"I can make chains from my chakra," the blonde thinned her lips and looked down at her smoothed hands before looking back at the penetrating gaze of her teacher. "But it takes a very long time for me to form chains. I, uh, also can't really manipulate them very well since I actually have to hold them to manipulate it."

Her cheeks burned with shame and she looked away from her teacher's eyes. When it came to using chakra, it was like second nature for her. Just as easy as breathing but it was a whole different story with these chains. If she could make the chains then it should be easy for her to use in battle, but her training with Akira made it seem difficult.

Aizawa sighed and tapped his clipboard over her head. The blonde blinked and jerked her head up, eyebrows knitted up together as black eyes flashed with understanding and thoughtfulness. He darted his eyes to Sero. The older male groaned and huffed as tape snapped out of the elbows of his wrist. Black eyes then darted to Aoyama, who cried out as laser beams came out of his stomach.

After a couple of minutes, the man finally nodded his head.

"You will spend the next five days making those chains," Aizawa declared.

_That's the only training I have to do? What about letting me try to manipulate it?_ The questions swam in her mind as her throat tried to spit out the questions but her legs wobbled as the man turned away from her. Everyone else looked like they had more difficult training, so why was he making her only do this.

"Why only formation?" Naruto asked, trying to hold back the nerves that threatened to come out of her mouth. "Shouldn't I be also working on how to manipulate it as well?"

The Underground Hero stroke his chin and knelt down till he was at eye level. A smile plastered on her face, stretched so wide that her cheeks begged for her not to smile. The older male only sighed and placed his hand on her hair, ruffling it slightly like he was trying to reassure a little kid. Her heart jumped a little with the strange gesture and the man looked at her carefully.

"I want you to be able to form those chains from muscle memory alone," Aizawa replied. Naruto blinked and raised an eyebrow as the man flickered his eyes to everyone else in the area. "The fact it takes time means you will waste time trying to summon it. That can affect your future missions."

The blonde bobbed her head. "Muscle memory?"

"The fact it takes a long time is because you haven't made a lot of attempts to make these chains," her teacher observed. Naruto knitted her eyebrows and tried to recall if there were some truth behind his words, before bobbing her head. "When you first started to summon your clones, did it take you a whole second to make them or a whole minute?"

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck, destroying the tension in her neck as she tried to recall the very first attempt of making clones. _It hadn't been perfect._ The first clone had been visually better than the clone she would make with the normal clone jutsu. But it hadn't been perfect. The second try had been better because she added just a little bit more chakra.

_Oh._

"A few minutes."

Aizawa nodded.

"We will work on making those chains until it becomes like second nature for you," he declared, removing the clipboard from her head. Her head hissed with content at the heavy weight removed from her head and Naruto stared back at him. "Once you accomplish that then I will work with you on how to manipulate those chains."

That sounded reassuring if you asked her.

* * *

"_You are taking a break, Naruto?"_

Shouto stopped clapping the water barrel and pushed himself up as Naruto strolled right next to him. His breaths came out in rapid pants, like he ran a 100 meter dash when all he had been doing was making flames and ice. His arms screamed in agony, only singing in relief when the water attacked his nerves and his eyes rested on the smiling female in front of him.

Even though his girlfriend smiled, the tremble in her arms and the hair stuck on the sides of her face told him that girl was probably going to drop soon.

"It is draining my mental capacity to make the damn chains," the blonde slumped her shoulders and plopped herself down on the ground. She knitted her eyebrows together and after a couple of minutes, several chains erupted out from her hands. Shouto blinked and pushed himself up from the water barrel, mismatch eyes gleaming with curiosity at the glowing chains.

They were probably the size of the chains that anchored ship. The shimmery glow of the chains reminded him of the moon, a sharp contrast with the golden hair of his girlfriend who resembled the sunshine with her eyes and the sun. He wanted to inspect it but it would mean leaving the warmth of the water barrel.

"They are new," he commented.

Blue eyes gleamed with thoughtfulness and lifted the heavy chains with a grunt from her mouth. _It must be heavier than it looks._ The blonde dropped the chains, a heavy crash pierced through the air but none of their classmates turned around to look at them. Most of them looked like they either want to drop dead, vomit or just go back to bed.

"My mother's family are well-known for making them," the blonde explained. She lifted the chain again and dropped it on top of her lap before flickering her eyes back at him. "From what I heard from my great-great Aunt, my mother was really good with making these things. Her chains were very strong and heavy too."

He blinked and knitted his eyebrows together. "So is this considered a Quirk in your part of the world?"

"It is more complicated," Naruto hummed and rubbed her chin. "The fact that my chakra is dense and a lot makes it a Quirk while the way I make the chains can be done by anyone outside of the clan, if they knew the basics of how to do it. So it is a mix of both?"

_It sounds really complicated to think about it._ He rubbed his chin and winced at the ache from his shoulders. His left arm did not have any burnt scar on his arm but it did feel like it was on fire. His right arm shivered, crying out like there were little needles of ice poking inside of him. He exhaled and looked down at the barrel of water before looking back at the concern that sang out of Naruto's eyes.

"Aizawa is going to be pissed off if he sees that you are slacking off," Shouto pointed out. He relaxed his whole body down to the water barrel, groaning with relief as his shoulders praised him for his decision and then stared back at the blonde. His girlfriend stared at him, cheeks burning a slight shade of red and looked at his shoulders.

She looked almost like a cute little bunny, instead of being her usual mischievous little fox.

The blonde pouted and folded her arms against her ample chest. "He is going to be pissed off with the fact that you are spending more time talking to me than spending time on making ice and fire."

A little grunt escaped from his lips at the reminder and Shouto pushed his hair behind his forehead, allowing the cool, summer wind tickled his neck and shoulders. Naruto was right. If their homeroom teacher caught sight of the two of them talking, instead of doing their own training then he would give a very long lecture of what they were supposed to do.

He frowned and darted his eyes everywhere, only to blink at the lack appearance of Aizawa.

"Where is Aizawa-sensei?" He asked.

His girlfriend offered him a sly smile, looking very much like the mischievous fox with that smile, and his stomach churned with a flutter that a large bird would feel. Warmth washed over him like someone could liquified sunshine and dosh him with it. His throat tightened too and the boy rubbed the back of his neck.

The smile on Naruto's lips widened and Naruto finally answered. "He is giving a run-down of what Class B is going to expect in their training with Vlad King-Sensei."

Shouto blinked as Bakugou's screams filled the air between them. His mind went completely blank, processing what the whiskered teen had just informed him. His mind connected the dots of the timing of his girlfriend's arrival to his side with Aizawa disappearance before a little snort escaped his lips.

"The moment Aizawa walked away from keeping an eye on you, you decided to take advantage of his disappearance," he said. Naruto smiled even wider, looking pleased at her decision and the boy bobbed his head. "You decided on a smart strategy of when to take your breaks."

His girlfriend puffed her chest and grinned at him. The sparkle of joy in her blue eyes reminded him of the bright skies above him, looking so pretty that it was difficult for him to tear his eyes away from her. Her smile screamed with so much pride and joy that he wanted to praise her even more, except they would definitely get into trouble.

But the blonde deserved to be praised and complimented if you asked him. Nothing could ever fully describe how important she was to him or how amazing he thought she was.

"What are you trying to achieve by heating and cooling the water?" Naruto tilted her head, knitted her eyebrows together and Shouto knew if his girlfriend had a Quirk that made her have a tail then she would be wiggling it from her curiosity. _She will probably look even more cute._ His cheeks burned an even darker shade of red and he forced himself to look away from her.

Not the time for him to get distracted.

"I'm trying to get my body to get used to the freezing temperature," he answered. Shouto exhaled and subtly began to decrease the temperature, hoping the prickly coldness would be enough to stop his mind from wandering to _dangerous territories._ "And at the same time, I am trying to regulate the heat of my flames."

A small frown decorated his lips as he looked down at the water. _You can't surpass All Might if you only use your right side._ His father's words echoed in his ear, furious turquoise eyes played before his eyes and a bitter taste clung to his mouth. Bastard was right and if it wasn't for Naruto, Midoriya and even his own memory then he would struggle even more with this exercise.

"Y'know what is great about your training besides the fact you are going to be awesome and make fire and ice at the same time?" Shouto blinked and swirled his head at his girlfriend. The blonde tilted her head as a bright smile played on her lips as her blue eyes glinted with mischief. His throat dried up at the image and a part of him knew what was going to happen.

He knew the girl knew when he started to think back to Endeavour because that _glint _in her eyes was her tell-sign alongside the fact that Naruto had absolute faith he could master his Quirk.

The boy exhaled and raised an eyebrow at her. "What else is great?"

Mischief intensified in her eyes and the blonde clasped her hands behind her back, almost looking like an innocent school girl. _Except she corrects smut in public._ A tickle of blood escaped from his nose as his mind recalled the last sentence he read from that notebook that the girl carried with her.

"I can ogle your chest without shame," Naruto replied.

The smile on her lips intensified as her eyes moved down from his eyes to his chest. _I like staring at your chest even more than Midoriya, Homeostasis._ Her breathless, husky voice echoed in his ears and his lips grumbled about the kiss that he forced himself to end. He wanted to explore even more, especially when her eyes looked at him with such dazed expression. He wanted to be near her even more when he saw the affection in her eyes.

He darted his eyes at the grinning blonde, whose eyes gleamed with eagerness and mischief. _She is trying to get me fluster by admitting that she likes looking at my chest._ Shouto had two options. Either he could put a stop with it and pretend his heart did not race or he could be childish and returned the favor twice over.

It was rather clear to him of which option he would like especially when one of them promised flushed cheeks. _I feel relax enough to try to show her that side._ He didn't know much about expressing his emotions but Naruto wouldn't mind if he just went with his gut, would she? _Have you ever told him how you feel?_ The same question should apply here.

Either way, he was going to find out Naruto's reaction.

"You shouldn't feel shame," Shouto schooled his expression into a blank one as Naruto blinked. His eyes lingered on the gym jacket that seemed to hug loosely on her chest before moving down to her baggy pants. The blonde gulped. "I do the same thing."

Naruto squeaked and flushed a light shade of pink, almost resembling a cherry blossom with her pink cheeks. She blinked and blinked, pinched herself in the arm as Shouto felt his lips twitched. _I can see why Naruto liked to say all those things in the beginning._ If his reactions had made her chest bubbled up with amusement then he could understand why she did such things.

But he was giving her a taste of her own medicine.

"D-Do you know what you just said?" The girl spluttered. She swirled her head left and right, almost resembling a cute, little otter with such actions while Shouto kept the innocent gleam in his eyes plastered. He tilted his head while Naruto relaxed, almost looking like a little animal who was unaware of the trap being said.

He hummed. "I do because I couldn't stop staring at the photo that Hadou sent me when you went dress shopping."

Naruto's cheeks burned an even brighter shade of red and Shouto felt his lips twitched when the blonde looked torn between smacking his mouth or willing to hear his thoughts on the photo. _This is fun._ He allowed a little smile graced on his lips and the boy pushed himself up from the water barrel, mismatch eyes focused on the girl.

"It took a lot of willpower for me not to go over there," he allowed his eyes to linger on her chest before looking up at the wide-eyes of Naruto. "That dress highlighted your figure and made me want to have a _very cold shower_. I think of that photo every time I take a shower. You looked so _pretty_ in that dress."

The blonde squeaked even more and buried her face behind her hands, looking almost like an ostrich and Shouto felt his lips twitched. _I wouldn't tell you this if you weren't trying to get me flustered again._ He knitted his eyebrows together when the girl squirmed slightly, gulping down a lump and looked at him.

His throat tightened a little when he saw the little growing desire in her eyes.

"Homeostasis, we are in public," she finally muttered. Naruto's eyes wandered from his mismatch eyes to his chest before landing lower before looking back at his eyes. Embarrassment colored her features and Shouto wondered how he could bring out more of this flustered side of Naruto. He liked everything about her but this side felt incredibly special to him.

A part of him wanted to believe he had been the only one privy to this side of her. _This side of Naruto makes her contradiction._ His girlfriend had no problem correcting smut in public, never ever getting a nosebleed but the moment that he praised her or made any comments like this then she would get flustered like an innocent little girl.

His pants tightened and the boy tried to picture Natsuo in a ballerina outfit again. Not the best time for him to get heated. It was already bad enough he made both fire and ice after his girlfriend escaped from the walls of the hot spring.

Shaking his head, the boy scanned the area and noticed that none of their classmates noticed them. "None of our classmates or teachers noticed we are talking and they definitely cannot hear us. I can talk dirty and they wouldn't know."

The blonde blinked, tilted her head and then quickly shook her head like she wanted to forget the thought. Her blue eyes avoided looking at him and the girl turned her whole body away from him. Even though, her whole body was turned away, he could see the deep shade of red painted beautifully on her cheeks.

"Y-Y'know everyone thinks you are cinnamon roll that wouldn't say these kind of things," Naruto informed him. He blinked, opened his mouth to apologize but sow his mouth shut when he noticed the corner of her lip turned upwards. His shoulders relaxed as his dual-toned eyes focused on the girl. "No one will believe you can talk like this."

"I have a mouth too," Shouto reminded her as he looked at the bright blue sky before focusing his eyes on her. "I might not scream my emotions out like your cousin or be aggressive like him but I do have one. I just decide not to use my mouth all the time."

The words hung in the air and a part of him felt a sense of anxiety crept up in his stomach when Naruto twisted her head around to look at him. Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief. _She is going to be finding ways of hearing that mouth._ His palms moistened and a part of him really wanted to show her but they were in public as Naruto reminded them.

"Uzumaki! Todoroki! Back to work!" Aizawa barked at them. Naruto waved her hand at the teacher before offering him a smile. It might had been his imagination but it looked like his girlfriend was swaying her hips like a temptress, making him focus entirely on her bottom. A bottom that he had wanted to fondle it so badly after…

_I need to make this water really cold if I want to continue on with training._

He didn't miss the little wink thrown by the whiskered teen and Shouto decided to decrease the temperature to a new extreme.

* * *

**Author Note**: Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and what you think that could be improved on. Do you wish for the pace between Naruto and Shouto's relationship to slow down? Or do you like the current pace between their relationship?


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except any original characters.**

**Author Note:** I want to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Remember what I said yesterday? Well today, you are going to be cooking your own food!"_

Naruto yawned and rubbed her eyes as the other students groaned at those words. The hollowness of the students' face barely spoke volumes of the hell they went through in their second day of training. The sun began to fade in the background, signaling the end of the second day of hell and the reminder that only a few more hours and the third day of hell would begin.

She pressed the back of her neck, eyebrows scrunched together as her finger felt the tight knot on her neck. A little groan erupted from her mouth as she dug deeply into the tightness of her neck. Cheerful words erupted from the front of the desk but it sound stifled against her ears. The heaviness of her arm, which reminded her of lead, was more of a concern than what Ragdoll had to tell them.

"…Curry!"

More grunts pierced through Naruto's ears and the blonde knitted her eyebrows as Pixie Bob and Ragdoll gestured to the picnic tables right in front of them. Piles of potato, carrots alongside other vegetables sat on the top of the table, looking luscious enough for the blonde to actually be tempted to eat them. Right beside the baskets of ingredients were packets of curry.

_Well at least I will have one thing to help me destress._ She hummed and darted her eyes at the three boys standing across from her. Shouto only regarded the materials silently, eyebrows barely scrunched together while Izuku sighed. Both boys looked at the ingredients like it was a present from hell. Bakugou only grunted, staring at the ingredients with a scowl on his face.

If Naruto had to guess out of the three of them who was the best cook, the answer would be her cousin.

"You guys look exhausted!" Ragdoll cried, bringing Naruto's attention back to the woman. Tears sprung out of her eyes from the force of her giggles and the whiskered teen grunted. "But that doesn't give you an excuse to make any old sloppy cat food—you hear? It's gotta be the best!"

From right in front of her, Iida rubbed his chin and it looked almost like a lightbulb lit over his head. Naruto took a step back, moving closer to Bakugou and Kirishima. The red-haired boy knitted his eyebrows together while her cousin grunted. His red eyes did not stray away towards her, only focusing on Iida.

The older boy looked like he was going to bust out in happiness if you asked Naruto.

"It's true that a part of rescuing someone is filling the stomach and spirits of those exhausted during a disaster," Iida declared. Naruto raised an eyebrow and shook her head while Bakugou grunted, not looking one bit pleased with the explanation that their Class President made. "As expected of U.A—no opportunity wasted! Everyone, let's make the most delicious curry in the world!"

_He really tries to find reason for everything._ Naruto rubbed the back of her arm and eyed the various ingredients on the table before looking down at her gym uniform. If they were going to be cooking then she would need to remove the jacket. With a deep breath, the blonde removed her jacket and tied it around her waist.

She pressed her lips into a very thin line when Iida began to give roles to the students, not bothering to take account of their experience level. Kendo and Yaoyorozu stood right between him. Both of them flickered their eyes at her, probably sensing her irritation and Naruto forced herself to relax her shoulders.

"Bunch of idiots," Bakugou grumbled. "You had to nominate him!"

"Well better him then you because your answer is always violence," Naruto retorted, brushing off the dirt on her shirt.

Kirishima snickered and the whiskered teen offered him a small grin before making her way to the vegetable station. If Iida was going to make everyone do it without considering everyone's level of cooking then she would do what she wanted. If she was one of the leaders then she would put them down by their experience level, so that there would be smooth sailing.

She picked up the knife, twirled it around for a small bit before snatching the potatoes from the basket. A small hum came out of her throat as she sliced through the potatoes like how samurai would cut down their opponent. This was familiar to her. It almost made her feel like she was in one of those overnight missions, where they were forced to cook their food in the open fire.

_I was always given this task because Sakura can't cook to save her life._ The blonde sighed and slid the sliced up potatoes into the bowl before picking up the next potato for her to cut. None of her teammates could cook. Sasuke tried at one point but gave up when he saw that his cooking was not at the same level while Sakura just mixed things up.

"You hold that knife like you are a seasoned cook," someone commented. Naruto blinked, tightened her knife and swirled around to meet the curious eyes of Shouto. He did not blink at the knife pointed at him while the whiskered teen relaxed her arms. "You really look like you are in your element."

The simple awe in his eyes brought a smile out of the whiskered teen. He really did look adorable for being in amazement for something as simple as this. _It isn't even difficult._ Cutting vegetables was as easy as counting if you asked her. _But it wasn't always like this._ A hazy memory played before her mind and Naruto felt her lips twitched.

"Well I have been cooking since I was six," Naruto smiled and looked down at her sliced vegetables. Should she continue on and tell him about the various times she messed up? It would be funny if she thought about it. _I messed up so badly that I'm even surprised the Old Man would even take a bite of my cooking._ She flickered her eyes to Shouto.

A sense of worry crept up in her stomach when she saw the position of his hands on the vegetable and knife. Shouto gripped that knife like a scene from one of those horror movies that she loved to avoid watching. The position of his hand on the vegetable meant that her boyfriend might slice a fingertip off.

Taking a deep breath, the whiskered teen put down her knife and vegetable before making her way to stand behind her boyfriend. Her hand reached out to his right hand and a little shiver erupted from her body at the freezing cold that came out of him. She loosened the grip on the knife in his hand and corrected his hand position on the knife.

"Naruto? What are you doing?" Shouto twisted his head around and raised a single eyebrow. The blonde paused in her correction as mismatch eyes flashed with pure curiosity. _Well it is good to know he isn't irritated that I'm correcting him._ Not that she ever thought he would be irritated but she could be wrong.

"Correcting you," Naruto explained with a small smile playing on her lips. He blinked and knitted his eyebrows together, tilting his head to the side. "If I let you cut the vegetable with this position then you are going to chop off your finger. We can't have that, can we?"

Shouto looked down at her with a completely even gaze, not a single emotion came out of his eyes. _Did I say something wrong? I really didn't want to see him get hurt._ No words came out of his mouth and the only thing her boyfriend did was stared at her. She opened her mouth to apologize, only to close her mouth when the boy looked away from her.

"You worry too much," he muttered.

_Oh, he is surprised that I was vocalizing my worry._ She quirked her lips into a smile and patted his back. If it was not for the fact they had some work to do and there were a lot of students around then Naruto would have hugged him. _Later, I will hug him._ She bobbed her head and made her way back to her original position.

"Why wouldn't I worry? You are someone very precious to me," Naruto offered him a smile and looked down at the potato as her cheeks burned a bright shade of red. Her boyfriend blinked and his eyes widened at her comment like he didn't know what to think about her words. A smile played on her lips and the whiskered teen continued. "You are one of the most important people in my life."

"Thank you," Shouto finally said. There might not have been any emotions in his words but gratitude shone through his eyes like he was truly grateful for her words. Her throat tightened and the whiskered teen forced herself to look away from him. The quiet chatter from their classmates filled the air between them.

_I don't know what to do when someone thanks me for something so simple._ Naruto looked down at her hands and inhaled, feeling her ribs stretched out with agony. There was a desire for her to kiss him and hug him. To tell him that he was one of the most important people in her life and that she was just so grateful for him to be in her life. But it felt wrong to talk about it when they were surrounded by other students.

The call outs from the other student pierced through the air as Naruto continued to cut. They should say something but what could they talk about? About why he was grateful for her concern? No, she should just accept it without ever questioning him. Shouto had always been different but there was something else she wanted to know. Maybe this would be a safe topic for them.

"So I'm guessing that you never cut vegetables or did any of the cooking back home," Naruto said, keeping her tone light and a smile played on her lips. Shouto blinked and furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Defensive but it was adorable if you asked her. The glint in his eyes lightened, almost like he found some reassurance in her words.

He nodded and looked down at the knife. "Fuyumi-neechan never allowed me in the kitchen and Endeavour thought it would be a waste of time for me to learn how to cook."

Her eyebrows twitched and the blonde clenched her jaws together. _A waste of time, huh?_ She wanted to march right back to his house and smack the man for having the belief. It was the fact she knew how to cook that Team Seven didn't have to suffer from badly burnt fish during the Chunin Exams. If it was such a waste of time then why would they be here?

"It is a basic skill that you should have," Naruto informed him. He furrowed his eyebrows even more and his shoulders slumped together, looking almost like a hurt puppy. A playful smile curled over her lips and the blonde put down her knife before poking the boy on the rib. He blinked and her smile widened. "Don't be down, Homeostasis! You have got me to teach you how to cook! I will make sure—"

"Huh? What is this? A member of Class A doesn't know how to slice a piece of vegetable?" The smile on Naruto's lips faded as Monoma peered over her shoulder. His blue eyes fixated on Shouto and her boyfriend fixed a blank stare. Mismatched eyebrows twitched. _He is getting really defensive._ Naruto inhaled. "Aren't you here on recommendation—"

"—Oops, my hand slipped," Naruto chirped, tossing the carrots at Monoma. The carrots slammed into his stomach and her fellow blond wheezed and clutched his stomach. "But it seems like Class B can't catch either."

Monoma narrowed his eyes and growled. "You did—"

"—If you have time to be a fucking ass then you have time to slice those vegetables up," Naruto barked. Tension filled the air, getting so thick that not even a knife could cut through them, and the whiskered teen narrowed her eyes at him. "Or do you want me to teach you too on how to cut vegetables and not be a fucking dick?"

Monoma grunted and snatched the knife from behind her before marching off to the opposite direction. Naruto grunted and held up her middle finger before clicking her teeth together. She twisted her head around to look at Shouto, only to blink at the thoughtful gleam in his eyes. This thoughtful glint looked so different from the other glint that she had seen.

"What? Are you going to tell me that I shouldn't have told him off?" She grumbled.

Shouto shook his head. "I just realized that you have a very dominating personality when you are in front of people."

"I don't have a dominating personality, whatever the hell that means! Bastard pissed the hell out of me when he talked like that," Naruto grumbled with a scowl. Shouto nodded and his heterochromia eyes glinted with amusement as if he found her words to be amusing to her. Her scowl deepened. "He made it seem like you should be ashamed of yourself or that you are less smart because of this."

Shouto smiled slightly, looking almost like an angelic prince and Naruto looked away with her cheeks burning a bright shade of red.

"Thank you, Pretty Girl."

Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red and Naruto spluttered. "P-Pretty Girl?"

"I should give you a nickname," Shouto explained with a nod. His eyes gleamed with mischief and the blonde felt a sense of horror crept up in her stomach at the teasing monster that she unintentionally unleashed. "But if you don't like Pretty Girl, then what about Love?"

_Dear god, I'm going to get a heart attack because of him._ Her heart raced against her chest and all of the blood inside of her rushed straight to her cheeks. Shouto smiled even slightly wider and resumed back to cutting the vegetables. Was he done now? Well that was kind of sad. She liked this side of him even if it made her cheeks burned a bright shade of red.

"What about Princess?"

Naruto choked at the nickname and Shouto chuckled, looking way too pleased with himself for bringing out that reaction from her. The whiskered teen steadied her arms and ignored the curious gazes from the other students. Only one thought ran through her mind as she continued to chop the vegetables.

_When did the tables turned around?_

* * *

"_What got you down, Midoriya?"_

Naruto blew out some steam from the curry and rice before stuffing it in her mouth. Her blue eyes focused on the frowning face that belonged to her green-haired friend. For the past couple of minutes, the older boy kept pushing his food back and forth like he didn't have the energy or desire to eat. It was rather worrying if you asked her.

Shouto tore his eyes away from his food and focused on Midoriya before darting his eyes at her. There was a slight tilt in his head and those heterochromia eyes widened. Curiosity and surprise. He raised a single eyebrow at her, lips pressed into a slight frown and the whiskered teen subtly raised her hand at him.

Her boyfriend understood the hint and bobbed his head.

"I tried talking to Kouta," he admitted. Naruto nodded and picked up her spoon, twisting and twirling it around as the green-haired boy placed a frown on his lips. "He got upset with me."

Placing her spoon on the top of her mouth, the whiskered teen fixated her eyes on Midoriya. His shoulders slumped, almost making him look like one of those characters that Eri-chan loved to watch, and a deep-set wrinkle on his forehead. Green eyes shone with so much confusion as if he really did not know what he did wrong.

Shouto frowned and poked her in the ribs. A subtle poke that she probably wouldn't have felt if it had been anyone but the boy beside her. Only her boyfriend could make her feel like she had been stuck by lightning with one poke. Concern shone through his eyes and Naruto sighed, understanding what he wanted her to do.

"What did you tell that little rascal?" Naruto asked. Her boyfriend raised an eyebrow at her while Midoriya frowned. The older boy began to play with his food, moving the curry around like it was a toy instead of the food that they spent a good 30 minutes cooking. Only the chatter from their surrounding classmates crammed into the air around them.

"I told him of a story about a friend who didn't have a Quirk," Midoriya finally replied. His green eyes darted to her and the whiskered teen schooled a blank expression while Shouto pressed his lips into a frown. "I told him how that little boy wanted so badly to have his parents Quirk, only to be told that he didn't have one."

_I'm guessing he subtly told his life story to the kid._ Naruto picked a tiny spoonful of her food and slipped inside of her mouth. The owls hooted while in the distance the blonde could see Jirou scowling at Sero. What could she tell him? There were a lot of things which could have been said over his actions. Thoughtful. Foolish. Naïve. Those were things that came to her mind.

She stole a glance at Shouto, who kept on chewing his food as his heterochromia eyes locked onto the solemn boy. A small frown played on his lips. A spoonful of rice and curry shoved into his mouth. He squinted his eyes and bobbed his head like he finally knew of what to say Midoriya. _Maybe what to ask._ That tilt in his head gave that indication.

"Why did you tell him that story?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was trying to tell him that he was making things harder for himself if he tried to reject a part of society."

Silence fell between them as the words echoed between the three of them. Naruto pushed her own food back and forth like a shovel as her mind tried to think of what to say. _I can't go with my normal behavior._ She pressed her lips into a very thin line, eyebrows scrunched together as her eyes moved to the frowning boy.

The spoon dropped down into the plate. A little clang soared through the plate and the two boys twisted their heads to look at her. _How do I word things to him?_ The gentle thing had never been her thing. It was easy to be gentle with Shouto but with other people, it was almost a struggle for her to wrestle away the natural urges inside of her.

"Y'know what is your problem, Midoriya?" Midoriya blinked and Shouto tilted his head, eyebrow raised at her question. Naruto picked up the green tea and took a small sip of the drink. The green-eyed boy shook his head. "You are thinking like someone, who always wanted to be a hero would say. You haven't put yourself in his shoes and imagined what it would be like to know your parents died in the job."

Mossy green eyes widened, looking as large as tennis balls, and Naruto shoveled another spoonful of rice. _It isn't his fault._ The blonde exhaled as her raging heart threatened to come out again. The green-haired boy might have experienced discrimination and could not fully comprehend a person hating Quirks but he had no idea of what was the underlying problem.

Shouto flickered his eyes at her. _Explain things to both of us._ The furrowed eyebrows and the little nudge to her leg told her that much if you asked her. Naruto exhaled, stomach stretching upwards as her mind conjured up the words that could explain the scenario to him. The whiskered teen took another mouthful of her drink before looking back at him.

"Can you imagine being his age and being told that your parents died as heroes?" Naruto asked. Midoriya bobbed his head and curled his lips into a thin line while Shouto regarded her with thoughtful eyes. "The world celebrates their death but you are now _all alone _in the world. You wake up every single day, waiting at the door and hoping they will walk through that door…only to realize _they were never coming back_."

Mossy eyes saddened and Naruto looked up at the night sky. It was a beautiful night with the bright stars glimmering against the black sky as several owls flew across the sky. Her blue eyes flickered towards Shouto. Heterochromia eyes expressed no emotions but there was a thoughtful tilt to the movement of his head, not unlike the time when he was uncertain of how to comfort after her breakdown.

"He must be resentful," Shouto finally commented.

_That is definitely one emotion._ Naruto bobbed her head and darted her eyes at their smiling classmates. It was like a picninc scene from those television shows with the way everyone laughed, mingled and chatted without a care. It was a joyful scene but for Kouta, it must have felt like a mockery to him. _Maybe I'm the only one to think like that._ She sighed.

"I know you had your heart in the right place but you should never think things through the lens of a little boy, who always wanted to be a hero," Naruto advised. She shoved her spoon into her mouth, moving it around as her mind rebooted again. "I pray to God that you will never experience the pain Kouta feels, but if you don't know what to say then it's better not to say anything."

The frown on Midoriya's face deepened and tilted his head to the side. "I get what you are saying but I can't just let him suffer, Uzumaki. If we say nothing then we aren't helping him, are we?"

_You really think that it is that easy to save someone with resentment._ The scar on her chest screamed with irritation as her eyes darted to Mandalay. The heroine kept darting her eyes around, no doubt trying to search for her missing relative, and the whiskered teen exhaled. How could she explain things to him? It was not like she was the best speaker.

If she could convince anyone with her words then Sasuke wouldn't have left. Not even a good solid punch had been good enough for her to convince her brother-figure to stay behind. _Every time I tried talking to someone, we always battle each other._ Neji, Gaara, Tsunade and Zabuza had been affected by her words but her actions always back her motive.

_Then again, I could understand their pain to a certain extent._

"You have to be empathetic with him," Naruto finally said. Her blue eyes softened and a little bitter smile played on her lips as another realization dawned upon her. "When you talk to a kid like Kouta without any real empathy then you won't get anywhere. If you just acknowledge their pain and recognize they are human too. What is the point of being a hero if you can't empathize with them?"

_I wonder if villains are born from heroes who refused to acknowledge their pain? To acknowledge that they are just as human as them?_ Naruto rubbed her chin and looked down at her food while the two boys kept quiet as if they were in deep trance. Maybe she was weird but empathy seemed to be the most powerful tool if you asked her.

Maybe it was empathy that could help stop villains from being born or maybe she was being a naïve idiot again.

"_Idiot."_

Yeah, she might just be a naïve idiot with naïve beliefs.

* * *

_Is that little rascal following me around now?_

Naruto tilted her head and stared down at the furious black eyes that belonged to Kouta. The kid looked like a little devil with that bright red hat over his head, shadowing his facial feature, and the scowl playing on his lips. She wanted to go on top of the rooftop and cleared her head before Shouto met up with her, but it seemed like this little brat wanted to tail her.

It was kind of cute when she thought about it, almost reminding her of Konohamaru. _Date me, Naruto-neechan!_ Hopefully, this little boy was not like her little brother-figure who developed some kind of weird fondness for her. With only one talk from her, her little brother-figure had this strange idea that she was desirable enough for him to date her. She sighed.

Kids grew up way too fast if you asked her.

"Midoriya must have irritated the hell out of you," Naruto finally commented. The furious glint in his eyes faded, replaced with surprise and the scowl on his face faded. A gawking mouth replaced it instead, making the little boy actually looked like he was an innocent, little kid. She leaned against the wall and tilted her head to the side.

Seconds passed before the boy's mind rebooted back into working condition. The gawking mouth quickly shut and a scowl once again reappeared on his face. The anger in his eyes came back at full force, reminding her of one of those small dogs that Sakura had always been quick to pick out during their D-rank missions. He narrowed his eyes at her and barred his teeth at her.

"Are you also going to give me another lecture about accepting Quirks and how—"

"—I have no plan of lecturing you when I have no understanding of your pain," Naruto replied with a casual shrug. Black eyes widened and the whiskered teen clasped her hand over her head. Her eyes fixated on him. No smile played on her lips because smiling like an idiot never really got her anywhere when she thought about it.

The boy did not stray his eyes like her. His eyebrows furrowed together. _Confusion._ He clenched and unclenched his hands like he didn't know whether to punch her or not. From the distance, a wolf howled its night call as if to officially declared that it was now night. The lightbulb glitched, blinking every few seconds and the whiskered teen finally raised an eyebrow.

"You had no problem of talking to Mandalay like you understand the hell out of me," he growled. The bite was there but the harshness in his tone was also laced with hesitation. His eyes narrowed at her and his shoulders trembled like he was having a nightmare. Naruto only stared at the boy for a good few minutes.

_I guess he wants to talk about me nosing into things that wasn't any of my business._ A sigh escaped from her lips and Naruto knelt down till they were at eye level. The irritation and anger were not a big surprise, not enough to warrant wide-eyes but the hesitance in his eyes did. It was not every day when a kid like Kouta hesitated.

"Did you forget that I told you that I'm an orphan too?" She quirked her lips into a weary smile and black eyes flinched, almost like he was regretful for forgetting that little detail about herself. A weary laugh erupted from her mouth and Kouta blinked. "I talked to your Aunt from my own understanding of not having any parents around."

Kouta kept silent and only the sound of crickets chirps rumbled through the empty corridor. No emotion came from his eyes and the scowl on his face disappeared, replaced with a frown. _Little rascal can feel guilt, huh?_ She exhaled and undid the braid. Blond hair fell down in cascades, almost resembling like the waves in the sea but it would disappear soon.

Her hair would always returned back to its original state.

"If you wanna talk about your problem or your feelings then I'm willing to listen," Naruto offered him a little reassuring smile and allowed her eyes to focus on him. "I will just sit here and listen to whatever you have to say. You won't ever hear me say shit while you rant about your problems to me."

To make extra emphasis, Naruto zipped her mouth and smiled slightly at the 5-year-old boy. His gaze faltered at her words and his lips parted like he didn't know what to think of her offer. _Probably thought I will continue what Midoriya started._ She could do that but what was the point when she had no actions to back up her words?

It would just be meaningless when she thought about it.

"You aren't going to tell me some obvious story like Midoriya did?" The question fired out of his mouth like a bullet and he winced like he did not mean to ask that question. He avoided her gaze and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Naruto closed her eyes, rubbed her chin and then tilted her head to the side.

This little boy was probably smarter than people gave him credit. If she went with the way Aizawa and Midoriya thought, then she would pretend he was some naïve kid who didn't fully understand things. _But being orphaned means you have to grow up quickly._ A weary smile played on her lips as her finger flicked against his forehead.

Kouta blinked and rubbed his forehead. "What the hell was that for?"

"For thinking that I'm like Midoriya," she chirped with a wide smile playing on her lips. The little boy stared at her for the longest time before looking away from her. His cheeks burned a light shade of red, earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde. She shook her head and continued on. "It will be annoying as hell for you if you hear my life story, won't it? It will probably just annoy the crap out of ya."

The little boy blinked and pushed his hat upwards, black eyes gleaming with surprise. _It isn't like I make it a habit of complaining to people of how difficult life was for me._ She allowed the wide smile to be replaced with a weary smile. There was just no need to complain. There was always going to be someone with a more difficult life than her own.

"W-Why would you say that?"

The little stutter reminded her of Hinata, which made her heart twist in pain. _Not the time to think of how much of a ungrateful idiot I am._ She needed to focus on this curious, little boy. But what could she tell him? There was no easy way to explain things to a child but Kouta was intelligent. He didn't exactly talk like a child, younger then Eri.

If he hadn't told her that he was five then she would easily mistake him for a 9-year-old with that mouth of his. She guessed when she thought of him in that way then it would be easy for her to explain things to him.

"People are rather self-centered, don't you think?" Naruto asked with a slight smile on her face. Kouta blinked and furrowed his eyebrows together but stood as still as a stone statue. She bobbed her head and continued on. "People always think that their problems are worse when they should be thinking of what they should be grateful for."

The little boy knitted his eyebrows together into one line and frowned. "What do ya mean?"

"_She doesn't have to answer to anybody and that makes her completely selfish!"_

Her heart pounded against her chest and her blood boiled with rage as _envious _words rung in her ears.

"_This pain was born from my family bonds? Tell me how can you understand anything? They weren't your family!"_

Those harsh words pierced through her heart like arrows and her heart screamed with agony. Naruto inhaled and exhaled as cruel words clawed up in her mouth, ready for her to spill. But she was not going to allow it. No way was she going to allow herself to give into the pain that coated her very existence.

There was always going to be someone who had it worse than her.

"My best friend lost his parents just a couple of days after his birthday," Naruto replied. She pushed back the tears that threatened to come out as Mikoto's warm smile flashed before her eyes. Another exhale and she continued on. "He always think that the pain inside of him was probably greater than any pain felt by anyone. That is normal…but the bastard never stopped to think that he had memories of his parents or that he knew they loved him. Y'know…not every orphan can claim that."

_Old Man, are you sure that my parents loved me? That they didn't abandon me?_

She was not going to tell Kouta that he was lucky but she did wanted him to think of that as well. Black eyes regarded her like he did not know what to think of her words. He looked at her like she was a fool for saying those words. _Maybe I'm an idiot._ She exhaled and stared down at the frown decorating the kid's face.

A weary smile played on her lips and Naruto once again flicked his head. Kouta blinked and rubbed his head, scowling at her like she was a freak for doing the same gesture to him.

"You should smile kid or else you are going to look as grumpy as Aizawa-sensei before you turned 18."

The scowl on Kouta's face deepened and the kid grunted.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are a weirdo?"

The reply? Naruto only laughed and ruffled the kid before nodding her head. If she had a 100 yen for every time that someone called her weird then she would be the richest person in the world.

Not once did the two of them noticed a pair of concerned black eyes watching them.

* * *

**Author Note:** So Todoroki resumed with his teasing of Naruto. Naruto tells Midoriya of what she believed that he did wrong while Naruto and Kouta have a long talk about her actions. Now here are a couple of questions for you:

**Question 1:** What do you think of the interaction between Naruto and Kouta?

**Question 2:** Who do you think will be the first person to figure out the change in Naruto and Todoroki's relationship?

**Question 3:** What do you think of the interaction between Izuku and Naruto in this chapter?

Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favorite and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Something seems to be bothering you, Naruto."_

Naruto blinked and jerked her head at Shouto. The 15-year-old boy had a small frown playing on his lips as his heterochromia eyes fixated on her. Her boyfriend had his head tilted to the side. He furrowed his eyebrows together, almost like he was trying to put the pieces together in a file. A puzzle that was probably what was going through her mind.

"I talked to Kouta," she closed her eyes and took in the earthy scent in the wind before looking up at the night sky. So many, shiny stars dotted around the night sky and there was barely a cloud on sight. Then again, Naruto had never really tried cloud watching when the sky was painted pitch-black instead of a lovely shade of blue.

Shouto stared at her for the longest time, not even attempting to open his mouth to question her. Naruto relaxed her shoulders and slid her hand into the pockets of her pants._ W-Why would you say that?_ The stutter rung in her ear and the whiskered teen curled her lips into a weary smile. There were so few people who actually wanted to know about her life.

She shook her head and darted her eyes at Shouto. Her boyfriend finally decided to look away from her, choosing instead to focus on the beautiful night sky before them. _I will keep that promise to you but you need to open up more to me._ Her eyes moistened slightly and the whiskered teen rubbed her eyes before looking back at Shouto.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto pulled Shouto into a hug and breathed in the spicy scent of his cologne. Shouto stiffened like he always did whenever someone showed him affection and the blonde knew that the boy would relax in another few seconds. His large hands wrapped around her, rubbing her back with a gentleness that made her breath hitched.

"Did he say something that hurt you?" His voice vibrated against her, bringing out another shiver down her back. Naruto crooked her head upwards and met the furrowed eyebrows of Shouto. He looked like a confused puppy with those furrowed eyebrows. A confused puppy who looked so adorable that her own chest tightened and her stomach fluttered again.

Hugging the boy tighter, Naruto closed her eyes and listened to the howls of the wolves. What should she tell him? Which part felt the most important thing for them to talk about? She couldn't tell him about the accusation, not when it didn't really affect her that much. _But that curiosity about my own life is another thing entirely._ Naruto nodded her head and relaxed her shoulders.

"No," Naruto admitted. Her hands began to crept up his back and rubbed through the hard muscles that belonged to his back and the whiskered teen smiled slightly when the younger boy sighed in relief. "He didn't hurt me in anyway but he did surprise me when he asked why I wouldn't even tell my own life story to him."

Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line and stared down at her eyes. Concern shone through his mismatch eyes as fireflies buzzed behind him, looking like little blobs of flames that highlighted just much of an angel that the boy had been to her. An angel who stuck by her side even when things had been difficult for her.

Those blue-grey eyes began to trace her face like he wanted to burn the image of her in his mind. His right hand crept up and rubbed her jawline. Naruto's breath hitched and she found herself leaning into his hand, trying to chase after the tenderness that his hand offered her. Shouto moved his hand from her jaw to her cheeks, caressing it like it was the most precious thing in the world to him.

"Why?" Shouto asked, moving his hand down to her neck. His finger danced around her neck, never fully touching the naked skin of her neck and always hovering above it. Was it strange she wanted his cold finger on her neck? Yeah, it was weird. If she wanted to feel more of his hands then she was probably no better than Ero-Sennin.

Just thinking of her mentor and godfather was enough to snap out of the haze that Shouto's hand brought upon her. Her godfather was truly a bucket of cold water for her.

"I learnt rather quickly that there is very little point of talking about my own pain," Naruto admitted, staring out at the hundreds of trees that stood out before them. "Orphans are common in the Elemental Countries and well there is at least one or two orphans in a class. In my graduating year, there were around six or seven."

"_You think your pain can compare, Naruto? My parents died in a mission while you never knew yours! You know nothing, DeadLast!"_

She took in a deep breath. "One day I saw a female classmate sobbing over the loss of her parents and I tried to tell her that she had memories of them. That they weren't really gone from her life and that maybe remembering them would ease the ache inside of her."

"_What the hell do you know, ugly, little Fox? You don't have parents!_"

Naruto exhaled and tightened her grip on her boyfriend as her heart twisted itself in a loop of pain. She was fifteen now, not the same 8-year-old in that memory but it still played like a scene from a movie. The tears in the girl's eyes alongside the way those brown eyes looked at her like she was a nuisance.

"She got so angry with me and told me that I didn't understand a fucking thing," Naruto exhaled and allowed a bitter smile to play on her lips as Shouto kept dead silent. "She told me that I never had parents so I didn't know a damn thing. I told her that I still lost my parents and not a day goes by when I didn't think of what they could look like."

Her throat tightened up even more as cold brown eyes flashed before her eyes.

"I tried to tell her that the pain was the same thing but well she told me that my pain was less than the pain she felt," Naruto closed her eyes and forced herself to smile at him…only to falter when her boyfriend frowned at her. She sighed and dropped the smile. "From that day on, I don't talk about my pain to people. The next time I tried to do it, I got the same result."

Blue eyes widened when Shouto hugged her tighter. It felt like a huge teddy bear was hugging her and offering her comfort, except teddy bears were soft and fat while her boyfriend was hard and muscular. Despite that, warmth still tickled throughout her bones and destroyed the lingering coldness brought upon by that terrible.

"Since when was pain a competition?" Shouto asked. His tone lacked any emotion, almost robotic but there was a lingering undertone of contemplation and that brought a tiny frown on Naruto's face. He continued rubbing her back and stared down at her before flickering his eyes towards the sky. "No one really has a right to make that decision. No one has a right to make your pain feel inferior to their pain."

_No one has a right to make your pain feel inferior to their pain._ Naruto stared up at the boy and closed her eyes. It was a rather strange viewpoint but it made sense in a way when she thought about it. The pain they felt came from different circumstances. You just couldn't compare pain and that was probably her boyfriend's point.

Exhaling, the whiskered teen looked up at her boyfriend, who now moved his hand to her hair. He detangled the tangles in her hair, gentling parting the little knots inside of her hair. It should relax her but all it did was made her shoulders trembled with the care he was giving her. Her heart raced against her chest at the quiet tenderness in his eyes.

She darted her eyes to his lips and shivered at the memory of his possessive kiss. That kiss stole her breath away and made her toes curled in a delightful way. It conveyed a lot of things to her. Things that made her heart ran like there was no tomorrow. She stared at his blue-grey eyes that shone so brightly against the night sky and her stomach churned.

_She told me that she couldn't stand the sight of my left side before dumping boiling water on me._

Those words echoed in her ear, reminding her again that her own boyfriend hadn't experienced much affection since that day. _Saying that I like you and those sweet words won't convey everything to him._ It was rather easy to confess your feelings or repeat it again and again like Sakura had done for Sasuke but…actions always spoke larger than words.

Bobbing her head, Naruto leaned closer to her boyfriend and began pepping his neck with kisses. Salty. That was the first thing that came to her mind and a little giggle escaped her lips when the boy's breath hitched by her actions. His hands fell from her hair to her back and began rubbing her even more at her action.

She moved her lips from his neck to his jawline, smiling even more at the little hitch of his breath coming out from his mouth. She should slow down. It might be taking things too fast but she wanted to show him that she wanted to give him affection too. The same kind he gave her. That was why when she was done marking his jawline, she pepped kisses on his cheeks.

The scar on his left side probably got more kisses and her hand traced it gently as she parted away from him.

"Naruto, why did you do that?" Shouto asked. The brightness in his eyes faded, replaced with a darkened look. Not the bad kind that would make her shiver with fear but the other kind that made her lower part throbbed. The blonde gulped and pressed another kiss to his jawline and then to the scar on his left side of his face.

She wrapped her legs around either side of him and bit back the groan that threatened to come out when his erection pressed against her crotch. His cheeks burned a bright shade of red but Shouto kept his hands around her waist, not even attempting to push her away from him. Only curiosity, wonder and another _unfamiliar_ emotion shone through his eyes.

"You always shower me with affection so I wanted to return the favor," Naruto admitted with a bashful smile. Her cheeks screamed with embarrassment as more blood stampeded towards her cheeks and her own hands began to fiddle around. Shouto only stared at her with lips parted like he didn't know what to make of her own admission. "If you didn't like what I did then I will slow things down 'cause I want you to be—"

The words died down when Shouto pulled her in for another kiss and hugged her even tighter. _I really do understand better when he kisses me like this._ Gratitude. Happiness. Desire. They were the emotions poured out in his lips as Shouto kissed her like a boy who loved the things that she had to offer him. The gentle strokes on her hair made her pulled him closer, chasing more of what he had to give her.

She could see herself doing this every day for the rest of her life.

"_Jeez! You are like your mother!"_ The Kyuubi snarled. "_Keep this up and you will end up becoming pregnant before you turn 16!"_

A bucket of cold water washed over her at what the beast inside of her commented. Naruto tore her lips away from Shouto and took in several deep breaths, trying to calm down her racing heart as her eyes looked everywhere but at the flushed boy beside her. The boy stared at her, eyebrows furrowed before looking down at his pants.

The darkened cheeks and the way he ruffled his hair told Naruto of what conclusion he jumped to.

"I, uh, didn't mean—"

"Not your fault," Naruto choked out. He blinked and then knitted his eyebrows together before tilting his head to the side. The whiskered teen cleared her throat and covered her face. "The Kyuubi just reminded me of the importance of _protection_ because neither of us are ready to be parents. Not that I wanted to do it now or that I don't wanna do it with you but we have been together for a few weeks."

Shouto flushed a deep shade of red and hugged her even tighter, dropping his own head down to her neck.

"I liked it so much that I forgot about controlling myself."

Naruto smiled slightly and linked their hands together.

"It takes two to do this, Shouto so it is much of my fault as well."

She should have better control of her urges after all.

* * *

"_If you had to choose someone as your boyfriend then who would you pick?"_

Naruto nibbled on her chips as Hakgakure posed this question on the girls of Class A and Class B. The moment she returned back from her rather lengthy talk with Shouto, all of the girls ushered her to go to Class B room to have some girl talk. A room that smelt almost exactly like the inside of the Yamananka Flower Shop with all the flowery scent clinging into the air.

_And the first time I have a real girl's night and they wanna talk about boyfriends._ Naruto slumped her shoulders and darted her eyes the other girls. Most of the girls furrowed their eyebrows, looking like they were very much contemplating over who they would want as a boyfriend, while a few girls frowned as if they didn't know.

If no one was going to start this talk then maybe she should just begin things.

The whiskered teen rubbed her neck and hummed. "Well Shouto is good."

All of the girls swirled their heads at her and tilted their heads. No words came out of their mouth and the only sound that could be heard were the pit-patter of their teachers feet. Naruto picked up another chip and began nibbling it. The cheesy favor overpowered mouth, killing every taste bud in her tongue. Good god. She was going to avoid that bag of chips from now on.

"You and Todoroki-san are very close," Kendou commented, leaning closer to her. The other girls bobbed their heads in agreement and fixated their hungry eyes on her. "I noticed that he made you blush earlier while the two of you were working on the vegetables. Mind telling us what he told you to make you blush?"

Yellow eyes sparkled with eagerness as the other girls leaned forward. Naruto only rubbed the back of her neck and flushed a deeper shade of red as teasing heterochromia eyes flashed before her. _What about Princess?_ There was no way she could utter what Todoroki wanted to call her. These girls were like hungry wolves and they were going to tease her about her relationship with Shouto.

This was not a matter of trust but the matter of her dignity.

"Y'know Shouto can make me blush over the simplest of things," She reminded her friend. The orange-haired girl hummed while the other girls slumped their shoulders. Naruto inhaled and smoothed the wrinkle of her shirt before looking at the other girls. "Besides I'm close to Shouto because we understand each other and he is easy to talk to."

From across the circle, Asui tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows together. Her dull, green eyes regarded her for a good couple of seconds as if she was trying to figure something out. _Nothing of what I just said, will give away that we are dating._ She knew it but that did not stop her palm from sweating bullets at that contemplating gleam.

"If the two of you go out then he will probably be a very supportive boyfriend," Asui observed. Naruto relaxed her shoulders while the girls of Class A nodded vigorously. Most of the girls from Class B rubbed their chin. "And I'm sure Todoroki is the type to be devoted to his girlfriend nor would he try to look at other girls if he is dating someone."

_No, Shouto isn't that kind of boy._ Naruto quirked her lips into a smile and released a content sigh. Even though it probably had been over an hour since the two of them separated from each other, the tenderness and devotion in his eyes still played like a clockwork in her mind. Not once did she ever have to look over her shoulder to make sure he didn't eye another girl.

"But he does have one problem," Yaoyorozu commented from right beside Jirou. The black-haired girl grimaced and furrowed her eyebrows like she was deeply considering of how to word the problem. The Vice-President of Class A exhaled and bobbed her head. "He is still the son of Endeavour."

Naruto poked her tongue against her cheek and clenched her jaws together, while the other girls shuddered. _I wish the bastard wasn't his father._ Every single time she recalled the pain in Shouto's voice whenever he talked about the way the man punched him and screamed at his wife, Naruto wanted to dash straight to his house and punched the man.

The power-hungry hero never made Shouto feel like he was human, always treating him like he was his own tool.

"He will probably be really strict with any girlfriend of his son," Setsuna grimaced. The other girls gulped and nodded while Naruto forced herself to take in a deep breath. The green-haired girl leaned her body backwards. "I can totally picture that man either paying his girlfriend off or making her life difficult. You have to have some guts to date Todoroki with a hardass like Endeavour as his father."

Naruto frowned and knitted her eyebrows together at her friend. _When Tokage puts it that way then she makes it seem like he wasn't dateable because of Endeavour._ Guts weren't necessary. Putting up with Endeavour was worth it if it meant she could be around Shouto. If she thought like them then she would be nitpicking every guy.

_But I guess nitpicking is better than being in denial over what kind of boy your crush can be._

She knew that but she still needed to clarify things.

"Endeavour isn't terrifying," Naruto informed them. She pressed her lips into a thin line and picked up the melonpan from the batch of snacks nestled right in front of them. Taking a small bite, the blonde continued. "He is just an asshole but that doesn't mean Shouto is impossible to date. If we think like that then every guy has some kind of problem that we don't like."

Everyone stared at her. Their eyes gleamed with thoughtfulness and they slanted their heads like they were actually contemplating over what she had to say. Naruto only furrowed her eyebrows together and deepened her frown at them. What was wrong with what she just said? It was the truth! Every guy in their year had some kind of problem.

She raised an eyebrow when Ashido fixated her curious gaze on her and asked. "What is it?"

"Well you like Todoroki-kun since the Sports Festival, didn't you?"

_I didn't like him during that time._ The words were on the tip of her tongue but something held her back. Maybe it was the curiosity of what made the girl jumped to that conclusion. What had she done to make Ashido jumped to that conclusion? _You look pretty in the outfit._ The deep, calming voice of Shouto echoed in her ear and the pure sincerity in his eyes played before her.

Naruto exhaled. "Are you saying this because he made me blush after calming me down from that _stupid_ stunt of Mineta and Kaminari?"

"Well I never saw you blush like a little girl until he calmed you down," Ashido admitted. The other members of Class A nodded their heads in agreement while a few girls from Class B bounced in their seat at those words. Naruto only rubbed the back of her neck while the pink-skinned girl tilted her head. "You were so damn furious with Mineta and Kaminari but Todoroki-kun just calm you down like he knew what to do."

_He didn't know what to do._ The words were on the tip of her tongue but Naruto swallowed it down. Even though it was the truth, it felt wrong for her to spill those words. Those heterochromia eyes had been slightly confused over how to calm her down but the moment she vocalized her insecurity, he uttered words that made her heart stop.

"He only told me that I look pretty in that cheerleader outfit," Naruto informed Ashido. "But that wasn't when my feelings for him began to develop. If I develop feelings for every guy that calls me pretty then wouldn't that make me a shallow person? I mean it was meaningful but that wasn't when it started."

_I can't exactly pinpoint when my feelings for Shouto changed._ The whiskered teen frowned as silence hung over the circle of girls. She could pinpoint when she started to see Shouto from an acquittance, who couldn't mind his own business, to becoming her precious friend. But when did she began to have the fluttery feeling inside of her? Well that was like trying to pick a kunai from a haystack.

"Then when did it start for you?" Kodai questioned. The girl from Class B was probably one of the prettiest girls that Naruto had ever seen with her fair skin, black hair and bright blue eyes. No emotion leaked out of her tone and this was probably the first time that the girl opened her mouth since the other members of Class A swirled their head at the stoic girl.

Naruto hummed. "Maybe internship?"

"That is still a pretty long time," Setsuna observed. The green-haired girl tilted her head and slanted her eyes at her like how a lizard would eye its food. Naruto gulped down a lump as those green eyes flashed with suspicion. "Y'know in all the time I know you Uzumaki, I can't picture you as someone who would hide her feelings for this long from a dense guy like Todoroki."

Another pair of green eyes widened while everyone swirled their heads at her. They raised their eyebrows while Naruto choked at the words spilling out of her friend's mouth. Why the hell did her friend have to say that now? Now everyone was going to begin connect the dots. She wanted her relationship with Shouto to be private, not aired out to everyone in the school.

If they had been together for six months then it was fine but not after three weeks of dating.

"B-But it isn't easy to confess your feelings even if you are the most confident person in the world," Kinoko observed. _Thank you for thinking of an excuse for me._ Naruto vigorously bobbed her heads while the other girls hummed their agreement. "It will be terrifying to confess to someone and know that they might reject you."

_And knowing my own fear of rejection, I probably would have done something to ruin it._ She poked her tongue against her cheek and looked down at her bitten melonpan. If the negative voice played in her mind when Shouto confessed the second time then this warmth inside of her would never exist. Coldness would have been stuck inside of her and there would be a haze again inside of her mind.

"So are you planning to confess to him anytime soon?" Ashido asked with a slanted head and curious yellow eyes. Naruto blinked while the girls twisted their bodies around to regard her with curious eyes. Owls hooted and the wind whistled as everyone continued to regard her with eager, hungry eyes.

"_I __**really**__ like you, Naruto."_

A tiny smile played on her lips as she chewed on her bun, eyebrows furrowed together. It had been three weeks since Shouto's second confession. Three weeks and her heart still pounded against her ribs, ready to burst with happiness from the memory. The knowledge that the girls would figure out the truth was enough to shove away the blush that threatened to consume her.

"There is no need for me to confess him, I mean I should focus on myself and my studies." She replied. The blonde locked eyes with the girls, only to falter when Setsuna, Kendou and Yaoyorozu raised their eyebrows to their hairline. The pressed lips informed her that all three girls didn't believe the words that came out of her mouth.

She shook her head and schooled her expression into a blank one.

"Well if you want help with confessing to him then we will help you!" Ashido declared.

Naruto nodded and quirked her lips into a smile.

* * *

"_Oi IcyHot, outside now!"_

Shouto frowned and schooled his expression into a blank look as furious, red eyes glared at him. Some of the boys blinked, opening their mouth to protest while Iida took a step forward. Midoriya flickered his eyes between them, green eyes burning with curiosity, before pulling back the Class President back. Shouto didn't know what the boy told Iida but the blue-haired teen quickly gave them a thumbs up.

Taking a deep breath, the dual-toned hair boy followed Bakugou out of their room. Several eyes followed them, almost reminding him of the time when they followed two half-cousins to the courtyard. He threw one last glance over his shoulders and relaxed his shoulders at the pale-faces of their male classmates.

The door shut and the two of them stood in the corridor. The only sound that could be heard in the corridor were the giggles and chatter from the Class B girls room. _Naruto told me that they were going to have a girls night._ That had been one of the reasons the two of them had to sneak out to the roof earlier than they actually wanted.

"What the fucking hell is your relationship with Whiskers?" Bakugou demanded. Shouto blinked and blinked while his blond-haired classmate narrowed his eyes at him. It should terrify him because those red eyes made the boy look like a devil, but nothing would ever compare to the anger that radiated from Endeavour's eyes.

_Should I tell him that I'm with Naruto?_ Todoroki frowned and shifted his weight to the right as narrowed eyes demanded for him to answer the question. It would be the right thing but he wasn't the only one in their relationship. Neither him nor Naruto actually discussed of when to tell everyone about their relationship, not when their classmates did have a habit of nosing on business that weren't any of their business.

"If you are going to be protective over Naruto then let me remind you that Naruto can protect herself."

_I think she will kill me if I do anything to break her heart._ He exhaled and locked eyes with Bakugou. His classmate shoved his hands into his pocket and scowled, resembling a furious dog with those spikey blond hair and piercing red eyes. After a couple of second, the blond-haired boy clenched his jaws together.

"You think I don't know that shit? But I know Whiskers tells you shit that she won't ever tell anyone else," Bakugou growled. Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line while the blond-haired boy threw a glances at the door of Class B girls bedroom. "She trust the shit out of you and lets down her guard around you."

_Don't hurt her._ That was the underlying message in his words and Shouto paused. He did not know what the nature of Bakugou and Naruto's relationship but that message spoke a lot about the boy's feelings towards Naruto. There were a lot of things he could say to the older boy but there was only one thing that he could really tell him.

"You know I would never hurt her."

Bakugou eyed him for the longest time with his lips pressed into a very thin line. It was so strange for the older boy to act like this way. The older teen was always so loud, yelling at anyone who looked at him in the wrong way but the number of times he kept quiet could be counted with only one hand.

After a couple of minutes, the 16-year-old boy tore his eyes away from him and grunted. "If you hurt Whiskers in any shape or form then I will _fucking kill_ you, the son of Endeavour or not."

_He really cares about Naruto if he is willing to vocalize this much of his feelings. _Shouto frowned and furrowed his eyebrows together. A wrinkled form on top of his forehead as Bakugou twisted his body away from him. The pit-patter of the rain pierced through the air, mingling in with the giggles and laughter from Class B girls bedroom.

"You should tell Naruto that you give a shit about her," Shouto finally said. He flickered his eyes towards the corridor and relaxed his shoulders at the lack of eyes peeking out of the door. The wood did not creak nor did the doors crept open. Only their light breaths echoed throughout the corridor and Bakugou finally clenched his hands together.

The blond-haired boy clicked his tongue. "I don't give a shit about Whiskers."

_You do realize that you called me out of here because you care about her? Or you skipped school to check up on her when she didn't come to school?_ The words were just on the tip of his tongue but Shouto knew the boy would deny his words. His actions towards Naruto spoke volumes more then whatever bullshit that came out of his mouth.

"I believe you," Shouto said, schooling his expression into a blank one. Bakugou's ears twitched like he could hear the sarcastic undertone in his voice and the blond-haired boy swirled his head at him. _I dare you to say what you actually want to say. _That was what those red eyes told him and the mismatch boy raised a single eyebrow up to his hairline.

The teen grunted and clicked his heels together before twisting his whole body away from him.

"You better tell Whiskers that you fucking like her," Bakugou grunted. The blond-haired boy folded his arms against his chest and fixated his eyes on the door that belonged to Class B girls bedroom before moving to their own bedroom. "If you don't tell Whiskers then one of those horndogs will try to make a fucking move on her."

Shouto raised an eyebrow. "Do you really prefer me over them?"

_Wouldn't you want her with someone who can openly show their emotions after knowing what she went through?_ The question was on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed it down. If the Explosive Boy actually answered the question then Shouto didn't know how he would feel whether the male actually replied yes.

"I don't fucking care," Bakugou replied, shoving his hands into his pocket. Shouto blinked and tilted his head to the right. "But I prefer you and Spikey over those horndogs. Those bastards would fucking pressure the shit out of her."

Shouto's eyebrows twitched and the blond-haired boy grunted as his eyes fixated on the door. Red eyes gazed at the door for the longest time before flickering to him. Irritation flashed through his eyes like he knew what the hell was going through his mind. The mismatch boy arched one eyebrow at his classmate.

"It doesn't fucking matter what the hell I want or what I think," Bakugou informed him quietly as his eyes darted to the two doors. "Whiskers can and should decides who she wants to date and I will fucking respect her decision but I won't ever interfere with her love life."

* * *

**Author Note: Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and the story so far.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters.

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter and everyone who added this story to their favorites and follows.

* * *

"_Uzumaki-san, are you dating Todoroki-san?"_

Naruto blinked and jerked her head away from her glowing chains to focus her attention on Yaoyorozu. Black eyes flashed with curiosity as she picked up another chocolate ball from the huge bowl of sweets on the table. Sitting right beside the Vice President were piles and piles of Russian Dolls. _I think they are called Matryoshka doll._ That book she bought a couple of months ago talked about it a lot.

Not that it was actually important thing for her to consider since Yaoyorozu decided to talk to her about her love life and not about those cute dolls that she had been making since their training started.

"What makes you think we are dating?" Naruto asked, raising a single eyebrow. She grimaced when Bakugou howled again and the whiskered teen held herself back from throwing a glare at her cousin. Why must he always scream whenever he shoved his hand through that barrel of hot water? Bakugou knew there were people in this area who had sensitive hearing! Did he want her to go deaf?

She exhaled and glanced at her classmate, who took another bite of her chocolate ball. Her thin black eyebrows knitted together into one thin line like she was deeply contemplating on what made her think of what made her believe that there was a change. Knowing her classmate, Naruto knew that was going through the Vice-President mind.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Naruto looked up at the clear, blue sky as the girl took her time to think things through. It was not like she was going to deny the change of their relationship but it was interesting to hear what made Yaoyorozu realized the change.

"Your interaction with Todoroki-san is different from before," Yaoyorozu commented. The wind whistled as a pink glow erupted from her hand. Another _Matryoshka_ doll jumped out from the palm of her hand and the black-haired girl looked back at her. "The two of you were always intimate but now it feels more like the intimacy of two lovers whenever the two of you are together."

Naruto choked and flushed a deep shade of red. _L-Lovers?_ That was definitely not how she would describe their relationship now. Lovers implied they had done a lot more than kiss. She should correct her classmate on that aspect but there was another thing that could be pointed out to the girl.

It was not going to be a denial but she wanted to know how Yaoyorozu was going to refute her comment.

"You do know that you can have the aura of lovers and not be together right?" Naruto pointed out. The black-haired girl tilted her head and took another bite of her chocolate before looking out at the scene before them. Iida zoomed right past them while Ojiro smacked a hardened Kirishima with his large tail.

_That's gotta hurt._ Naruto winced as Kirishima flew straight over to the cliff. She did not need to channel the chakra to her ears to hear the distinct crack on the cliff or looked around to know that the boy left an imprint on the cliff. This was the same thing that happened yesterday and if Kirishima's Quirk had gotten stronger then the crack was probably going to be larger.

"You said yesterday that there was no need for you to confess your feelings to him," Yaoyorozu observed. The whiskered teen tore her eyes away from the cliff and focused her attention on the black-haired girl, who bounced in her seat. "That implies Todoroki-san knows your feelings towards him and if we combined with the intimacy between the two of you then it leads to the conclusion that the two of you are together."

Naruto quirked her lips into a smile and looked down at her chain. Nothing really escaped the Vice-President. The black-haired girl picked up the most subtle clue she had given the group of girls yesterday. Now that the girl figured out the truth, what should she do? Should she tell her how they ended up getting together? Should she spill every detail in her relationship now?

That would be showing trust but it didn't feel like she reached the stage where she could be fully opened with everyone. _I only said Shouto because no one seemed ready to start the conversation._ Naruto sighed. The silence between everyone as they thought of a boyfriend that they wanted had been so tense that she actually thought she was going to suffocate from it.

"Homeostasis and me are dating now," she admitted. She kept her tone soft and low as black eyes widened at the words spilling out of her mouth. Naruto blinked at the _warm _smile being directed at her from the Vice-President. Why was the girl happy to know about it? The news shouldn't make her smile like that. The blonde shook her head. "But don't tell anyone else about it! The whole thing is still new."

The older girl bobbed her head, not looking one bit upset at her request. Black eyes shone with understanding as if she could understand the need for privacy. Maybe her classmate could understand the need for privacy. Just like her, Yaoyorozu knew of their classmates rabid interest in anything that could be gossip worthy. Their classmates would attack her and Shouto like a pack of wolves once they knew the truth.

"Who else knows about your relationship?" Yaoyorozu asked, picking up another chocolate ball. Naruto frowned and rubbed her chin as her blue eyes darted to Shouto. Her boyfriend trembled like a leaf, hinting to her that the younger boy was probably now at his limit. _He is probably going to take a break soon._ She offered the boy a small wave before looking back at her friend.

Right, the girl wanted to know who else knew about their relationship.

The blonde knitted her eyebrows together. If she knew Shouto like she did then he probably already told his sister or his brother because he would want advice on dating. So that would make two people in this scenario. Jiraiya had no idea and the whiskered teen planned to keep it that way until maybe another three or four months.

Kenji knew but that was because Shouto informed him of their relationship. She doubt her distant relative was going to spill the beans to Jiraiya, not when the two men hadn't formally met.

"My distant relative knows about us and maybe Shouto's siblings," Naruto finally replied. She rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes for the longest time. "So you are probably the first one from our class to know about the change of status."

The black-haired girl smiled slightly, bobbed her head and then frowned. The blonde raised a single eyebrow when she saw how those black eyes widened as if she just realized something. She probably did realize something but what did the girl realize? Now that was another question entirely if you asked her.

"You didn't tell Gaara-san, did you?" Yaoyorozu pressed her lips into a frown and tilted her head to the side. The chocolate ball in her hand was left forgotten as the girl continued to stare at her with wide eyes. "I thought the two of you were quite close. Why didn't you tell him that you are now dating Todoroki-san?"

Naruto eyed the chocolate ball on the table and snatched it from the bowl before popping it in her mouth. Fireworks erupted in her mouth as the blonde looked up at the blue sky. _Why haven't I told Gaara?_ That was a very good question. Their friendship had gotten deeper since his arrival here. He was no longer the kind of friend that she would rarely see or talked to, but the kind of friend that she felt at peace with spilling her secrets too.

It was a wonder on why she hadn't told him. _But he has been busy with doing research on the countries here._ That was one reason she didn't tell him. Then there was the fact he proposed to her. It might had been done to protect her but it still made confessing the change in her relationship awkward. Another thing that made her waver in telling him was the knowledge that he didn't think he deserved to fall in love.

She didn't want to throw her happiness at his face.

"I haven't found the right time to tell him," Naruto finally answered. The blonde sucked on her chocolate-coated finger before taking the tissue on the picnic table. She locked eyes with the clouds that strolled through the sky without a care in the world. "I know he wouldn't be surprise and I know he will be happy for me but the timing isn't perfect."

It wasn't a complete lie but it wasn't the complete truth either.

_I know Gaara will be happy for me._ She ran her hand through her hair and darted her eyes to Yaoyorozu, who picked up another sweet. Throughout their interactions, the red-haired boy made it clear to her that she deserved to be happy. He also probably hinted to her that Shouto had very strong feelings for her. It might not look like it when they first met but Gaara was very much capable of picking up people's feelings.

"No slacking off during training!" Naruto blinked and swirled her head to the cliff. Aizawa stood right in front of the cliff with his hands on his hips and black eyes scanning the student who remained below the cliff. "No matter what you are doing, you should be aware of where you come from."

Yaoyorozu swallowed her sweet while the whiskered teen looked out to the forest. _You should be aware of where you come from._ That was the first time Aizawa-sensei made that kind of comment towards them. Where she came from? Did he mean her place of birth? Or what caused her to come here? She wanted to ask him but it would bring too many questions.

Questions that might end up with her spiraling back to being that sad, very mistrustful girl again and Naruto didn't want that to happen again.

"Keep in mind why you are sweating and why we nagged you!" Aizawa barked. He focused his eyes on her and Yaoyorozu before fixating his eyes on Midoriya and Bakugou. "Don't forget where you started."

_Don't forget where you started, huh?_ Naruto curled her lips into a bitter-sweet smile. The world around her faded, replaced with a playground filled with smiling kids as they grabbed the hands of their smiling parents as they walked away from her. She could see the cold eyes of the parents as they directed a cold glare at her.

In the distance, she saw Sasuke running straight to his mother and Mikoto beckoning her to follow them back to their _warm_ house. That was probably where she started if Naruto thought about it. That was when she became Uzumaki Naruto. That was when the title of _unwanted _and _monster _faded from her dictionary.

Those days were never going to come back but one day she would make a new home. One day, she would save all the children who felt rejected by society like how Mikoto and the Third Hokage saved her.

"Uzumaki-san, are you okay?"

Just like that, the memory faded away like a ghost in the wind and was replaced with the concern black eyes of Yaoyorozu. Naruto stared at the girl for a moment. _Are you okay?_ That was a loaded question to hear with that memory playing again right in front of her eyes. She wanted to say that she was okay but Naruto knew that in a week time that the grief would hit her in full force.

In a week time, she was going to be locked up in her room and tried to forget the fact that Mikoto Uchiha had been murdered by one of her children. In a week time, the voice was going to come back again to haunt her.

"I am going to be okay," Naruto declared with a forced smile playing on her lips. Yaoyorozu frowned and regarded her with wavering eyes like she could hear the falter in her voice. Maybe her friend could hear it. But if her classmate wanted to know why she was uncertain then she was not going to tell her.

She wasn't ready to talk about the kind woman who saw her as a child and not some kind of monster.

"Tonight, we are going to have a test of courage!" Pixie-Bob giggled from right across them. Naruto blinked and kept her expression completely blank as the blond-haired woman waved her paw at them. "You guys are going to be pitted against each other! After all what is the point of training hard if you can't play hard?"

Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line and rubbed her arms as a shiver of chill ran down her spine. A test of courage? Now that was a nightmare for her. Would it be a good idea for her to pretend to be sick? Nope. Everyone knew she didn't get sick. If she pretended to be sick then they would figure out the truth about her.

_I just hope that they don't have anyone who can conjure up ghosts._

She did not want anyone to see her screaming for her life if a ghost actually appeared.

* * *

"_I'm surprised Bakugou-kun is really good with that knife!"_

Naruto tore her eyes away from the bundle of logs and fixated her eyes on the neatly sliced carrots on the cutting board as Uraraka gawked at the sliced carrots. It should make her eyes widened but she only quirked her lips into a smile. She could picture her cousin being goaded by her Aunt to do better than her and having the same determined eyes like right now.

Her cousin grinded his teeth and picked the knife again. _He is going to yell again._ That twitch on his shoulder told her that much alongside the clenched hands. Uraraka was probably used to it but just in case, Naruto would have a secret weapon prepared for the volcano that was Bakugou's temper. It was an easy solution.

"It's a fucking knife!" Bakugou twisted his whole body around and pointed the knife at them. "How the hell can you be so bad with using a knife?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and eyed the _sharp _knife that gleamed with danger before eyeing the growling, ferocious dog that was Bakugou. If she had been anyone else, she probably would think he was furious but that little twitch in his mouth told her that he was embarrassed. _This will make the teasing even more fun._ She quirked her lips into a smile while Uraraka gulped, taking a step back.

"Don't be embarrassed, my cute cousin," Naruto grinned when Bakugou spluttered at her comment. His cheeks burned a furious shade of red while Uraraka gawked at her. "Girls find it sexy if a boy can cook for them. Now if you ever get a girlfriend, we all know what she will see in you, besides your body."

Uraraka covered her mouth but Naruto could still hear the distinct laugh from her mouth. The two girls exchanged glances before flickering their eyes at Setsuna, who was chopping up the meat, and then back to Bakugou. _She didn't keep her admiration of Bakugou's body a secret yesterday._ The whiskered teen shook her head and chuckled as she recalled how her friend described in detail of what she liked about Bakugou.

The girl did not even care of the fact that Bakugou was an explosive puppy, who didn't know how to express his feelings without screaming. _She finds it funny and cute._ Naruto sighed and looked back at her flushed cousin. Was it funny? She didn't know but then again Naruto found that Setsuna could be just a little bit odd and way too easy-going if you asked her.

"I'm not a male prostitute!" Naruto blinked and jerked her head at Bakugou. What the hell did he just say? She shifted the weight of the wood to one hand before digging her finger inside her ear. _Why the hell did he say that?_ Not once did she imply that he was one but that comment could have easily been misinterpreted if she thought about it.

She glanced at Uraraka, who flushed a light shade of pink, while the other students turned their heads to look at them. _I can't even blame them because of Bakugou._ The blond-haired girl offered them a sheepish smile before throwing a glare at her scowling cousin. How the hell was she going to change the topic now? She pinched her nose and exhaled.

"I never implied you are one, _Bakugou Katsuki!_" Naruto hissed. "But if you yell like that then is there something that I don't know about? Because why the hell are you screaming like a guilty person?"

Bakugou clicked his tongue and grunted before throwing a glare at every student who looked their way. The students squeaked and twisted their bodies away from them, bodies trembling as they did so. _Jeez, they act like Bakugou is some kind of monster who is going to gobble them up._ They were a bunch of wusses if they were terrified from that glare.

She twisted her head back to stare at Bakugou, only to blink at the feeble glare thrown by Kirishima. _It would probably be more effective if his eyes held a little bit more bark._ The glare held no fire if you asked her. Then again, those dark circles in his eyes and the slight shifting in his movement told her that he was too exhausted to muster a proper glare.

"How the fuck are the two of you so energetic?" Kirishima whined, throwing his hand up in the air.

Bakugou grunted and Naruto hummed as she shifted the logs back to both of her hands. "It is a very simple explanation, Kirishima. We share the same grandmother so if you wanna blame anyone for our shared nature then blame her."

Her cousin snorted while Kirishima jerked his head. _He forgot that Bakugou and me are half-cousins._ It was rather easy to forget when neither of them made it a habit to air it out for everyone to hear. There was simply no point of airing it out if you asked her. The change in their relationship did not mean it would affect anyone.

_Besides we are two different people._ She shifted the weight of the logs to her left hand while her right hand snatched the juicy carrot sitting right beside Bakugou. Red eyes narrowed as the blonde took a bite of the carrot and pocketed the other juicy carrot. At this rate, dinner was not going to be ready until the sun fully set.

No way she could wait that long for food.

"Oi Whiskers, don't eat before dinner !" Bakugou screamed. Sparks flew from his hand as his red eyes glared at the carrot dangling from her mouth. _Damn, he sounds like a nagging mother._ The blonde took another bite and returned back to holding the bundle of woods with both hands as the boy continued to glare at the carrot at her.

Well she guessed that was his way of looking out for her.

"I love you too, Bakugou!"

The people around them choked at her comment while her cousin blinked at the comment directed at him. He stood frozen, almost like he didn't know how to process the words coming from her mouth, and the whiskered teen took this as an opportunity to dash away from the explosive boy. Right now he was frozen with shock but if she waited for another few minutes then he would snap out of it and he was going to say...

"_I never fucking said I love you, Whiskers!"_

The ground trembled as Bakugou's scream split the air in half. Naruto howled with laughter as her legs dragged her straight to the stove area, where Midoriya piled up the logs with faded green eyes. _He must be really deep in thought if he didn't hear that loud scream of denial._ She curled her lips into a frown and dropped the bundle of woods on the ground with a loud _smash_ before kneeling down beside the boy.

Knitting her eyebrows together, Naruto waved her hand over the boy's eyes and clapped her hands together._ Yup, he is definitely distracted if he can't notice a clap._ She poked her tongue against her cheek and pulled out the carrot she just stole from the vegetable cutting station. It would be a terrible use of a vegetable if you asked her but desperate times called for desperate measures.

_He will thank me later._ Bobbing her head, Naruto dug the carrot against the boy's ribs. Her green-haired classmate yelped and rubbed his ribs before twisting his body around to meet her own blue eyes. The widened green eyes told her that he had no idea of why she did it and the fact he winced informed her that it probably hurt. Well that was good. Now he knew to pay attention to his surroundings.

"W-Why did you do that, Uzumaki?"

"I waved my hand, clapped my hand and you didn't snap out of it," she deadpanned. He blinked at her words and opened his mouth to utter the predictable apology but Naruto only waved him off. She handed him the carrot and the green-haired boy blinked. _I guess I better explain why I'm giving a carrot._ She sighed. "Take the carrot as my sign of apology for poking you with it."

"No, I should be the one apologizing," Midoriya muttered. He took the carrot and stared aimlessly at the pile of logs that sat right underneath the logs. _Something must be bothering him again._ He acted like this too when Shouto and her tried to engage him with a conversation. Naruto frowned and the boy exhaled. "I got lost in my thoughts again."

"I can see that," Naruto retorted. "What the hell are you thinking about this time, Midoriya?"

The boy frowned and looked at the stove with knitted eyebrows. _He must be really thinking things through again._ That was not a bad thing if she thought about it. The whole thinking before you talked was the one area she did terribly in. Until she came to Japan, she would spill her thoughts without a filter. _Well not all my thoughts._ The violent ones were locked away before they could ever come out.

Sakura would have cried or get irritated if she knew of the more aggressive opinions she had on her.

"Midoriya, why did you need to know if All Might was going to come or not?" Naruto blinked and jerked her head to stare at Shouto. Her boyfriend stood right behind them with a huge pot in his hands. His heterochromia eyes shone with curiosity as they fixated their attention on the green-haired boy sitting right beside her. "Did you need him for something?"

_When did he ask about All Might?_ She tilted her head and locked eyes on her boyfriend. The mismatch-haired boy tore his eyes away from Midoriya and directed its intense gaze on her. _I will tell you later when he asked about him._ That was what his eyes told her and Naruto nodded. If they were going to talk about it later then there was no need to vocalize her question.

"Well I wanted to talk to him about the discussion we had yesterday," Midoriya admitted. His tone wavered as Naruto looked up at the evening sky. _So he wants to talk about my perspective of things._ Her tongue licked against her teeth as she locked eyes with the green-haired boy. Well it made sense to discuss with a hero but Aizawa-sensei was a pretty good hero to talk to if you asked her.

Then again, she might be bias because Aizawa carried a special place in her heart. _He did tell me the words that I always wanted to hear from the Hokage._ Maybe it was odd but the teacher was probably the hero that she liked the best. He might not look like it but the man was probably one of the most empathetic people she met.

It would have been nice to have a teacher like Aizawa in the Academy.

"You really worship the ground that All Might walk on," Naruto hummed. Midoriya blinked at her observation while Shouto regarded her with thoughtful eyes. The whiskered teen picked up one of her fallen logs and twirled it around the tip of her finger as her eyebrows knitted together. "What could you have asked him that you can't ask Aizawa-sensei? He is a hero too."

Midoriya stared at the logs. "Well All Might has been in the business longer then Aizawa-sensei, so he probably would know of how to start seeing things through other people's perspective. I mean there are certain things that you can picture but how do you talk to someone if you can't imagine the pain they went through?"

"If you can't be compassionate then don't say anything," Naruto retorted. Midoriya gawked at her, looking almost horrified at her comment, and the whiskered teen shrugged. What did he want her to say? That all he had to do was just imagine because that was not easy. If he could not try to picture the emotions running through a person then zip your mouth.

Shouto eyed her. "You would know that, wouldn't you?"

"You are getting more and more sarcastic with me these days, aren't you?" She retorted with a tiny smile playing on her lips. Midoriya blinked and darted his eyes between them. The disbelief in his eyes told her that Midoriya found something strange in their conversation. An innocent smile played on her lips as Shouto eyed her with amused eyes.

He finally snorted. "I learned from the best."

Midoriya kept swirling his head between the two of them like he was trying to figure a secret code between them. Naruto shrugged. There was no secret code between their banter. _It isn't like we have something to hide from him._ She glanced at Shouto and the boy tilted his head like he was trying to figure out what was going through his mind.

He probably was trying to understand the odd behaviour from Midoriya. _Did we do something strange?_ That tilted head and the side glance directed at her told her that was the silent question her boyfriend asked her. Nothing really stood out in their behaviour. It was not like she called him any sugary nicknames or called him Homeostasis. They had been their normal selves except for the little retort from him but that was only because Shouto felt relax between the three of them.

The green haired boy finally shook his head and locked eyes with her. "I just don't know what to say to Kouta after hearing things from your perspective. I mean you can understand him but how can I understand him when both of my parents are alive? Neither of my parents are heroes too so how do I talk to him when I take these things into account?"

Shouto hummed and rubbed his chin. _He is really thinking hard on how to answer his question. _The little cute crease on the top of his forehead told her this much and the whiskered teen smiled. The younger boy really thought things through when Naruto considered things. _I don't always do that when I think about it._ The whole Overhaul thing had been done on the spur on the moment when she thought about it.

"I wouldn't butt my nose into it if I don't know what to say to them," Shouto replied. Thoughtfulness coloured his tone as his eyes fixated on the pile of woods before darting his eyes between them. "I think it will be annoying if I say I understand his pain or say I can't imagine it. That makes it seem like I'm trying to distance myself from them. I don't think you can change people with just words alone."

Naruto blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well if I changed people with just words alone then these people must have had shallow motives," Shouto explained. The blonde rubbed her chin and bobbed her head while Midoriya looked at the logs with furrowed eyebrows. "I think you can change a person's motives with words and actions then it would be more impactful but that is my belief."

_I never really thought about it in that way._ That was the first thing that came to her mind when her boyfriend finished giving his opinion. If her words could easily change a person then they didn't really have any _**strong**_ conviction in their actions. Naruto frowned and looked down at her hands. Then if she went with Shouto's thinking, she would have to do something powerful to change a person's mind.

It made so much sense when she thought about it because her words moved some people but…_they didn't have strong motives from the beginning._

"You sure understand people, don't you Homeostasis?"

Her boyfriend really had a way of making people reconsider their actions when she thought about it, or maybe this aspect of Shouto really affected her.

* * *

"_Aren't you glad that you two went with my plan?"_

Naruto grinned and leaned against her left foot as Aizawa-sensei dragged away the sobbing supplementary students from the forest pathway. She should offer them a look of pity but well it was actually kind of enjoyable for her to see someone being dragged away from having fun for once. _I should be sympathetic._ But it was kind of hard to be sympathetic when she knew that could have been her if Midoriya and Bakugou didn't listen to her.

Midoriya bobbed his head and looked away from the crying teens, whose cries echoed in the wind. _I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't feel too much sympathy for them._ Their opponent had been All Might and that man was considered the strongest hero of all time. The fact they battled him and won meant something. It was something they could boast about if you asked her.

Bakugou grunted and looked at her as if she was a pain in the ass. _He really doesn't want to admit that we would have failed if he didn't listen to me._ That stubborn glint in his red eyes alongside the way he clicked his tongue told her this much. Well it didn't matter to her. No one could ever refute that it had been her brilliant plan that allowed them to pass their exams.

"Should you be gloating right now, Whiskers?" Bakugou grunted. His red eyes gleamed with amusement and Naruto felt a pool of dread creeping up at the gleam. She gulped and raised a single eyebrow at her cousin, who smirked. "You are about to get scared shitless, aren't you Whiskers?"

_Asshole._ The insult was on the tip of her tongue but Naruto swallowed it down and chose instead to glare at her cousin. Bastard couldn't let her bask in the knowledge that for the first time in her life, she was the reason they weren't like those poor supplementary kids. _He wouldn't be Bakugou if he wasn't an ass._ She scowled and folded her arms against her chest.

"I ain't scared of anything!" Naruto retorted. Bakugou's smirk widened and looked almost like the devil with that smirk. _There is nothing he can say that can prove I'm a scaredy cat._ Not once during their time in Middle School, did they do a haunted house theme. The two of them weren't even that close during Middle School except for the occasional project that they did.

Even then, neither of them went to each other's house and had a silent understanding that they did their work in the library.

"Really now?" Naruto raised a single eyebrow as Bakugou looked out to the dark, menacing forest before them and then stared right back at her. He bobbed his head and eyed her like he had her in a trap. "I remember hearing you whimper like a scaredy cat when one of those extras mentioned that their room was haunted by a ghost."

Midoriya blinked and swirled his head at her. Those green eyes grew ten times in size at the accusation thrown by Bakugou and the whiskered teen scowled at the boy. _Any sane person would be terrified of the idea of ghosts._ Until she met her grandmother, there was a tiny part of her that felt like she could still be the Kyuubi. The thought she could actually be a monster made her whole body tremble with fear.

The Kyuubi murdered so many people and there was no way those murdered people wouldn't haunt her for what the beast had done to them.

"I think you must have gone deaf, my _dear, loving_ cousin." Naruto said sweetly. She clasped her hands together and offered him a honey, sweet smile, daring him to contradict her words. Midoriya choked at the endearment coming out of her mouth while Shouto looked at her like he thought she wanted a death wish.

Bakugou glowered. "Don't call me that!"

"Then what about cute cousin?" Naruto asked, smiling even wider. She clasped her hands behind her neck and held back a laugh as her cousin flushed a rather deep shade of red. It was so fun to tease someone again. It was even better when that person was someone like Bakugou, who had no way of expressing his feelings without shouting.

The boy clenched his jaws together and grunted. "I'm not cute! Don't ever call a guy cute!"

"What about Niisan?"

Bakugou spluttered at those words and looked like he wanted to murder her if that smoke coming out of his ear was of any indication. _I must have taken things too far._ That spark in his hands hinted he wanted to throttle her. She glanced at Midoriya, who looked at her like she was insane for trying to tease her cousin.

Shouto only snorted and eyed the frozen boy standing right beside her before looking back at her. _You are going to continue until he breaks, aren't you?_ That question shone through his eyes and the whiskered teen vigorously bobbed her head. This was something you could easily do with family and well it had always been easy for her to tease Bakugou.

"You should just pick one of the nicknames," Shouto advised Bakugou. The explosive boy growled while the son of Endeavour looked at her like he knew exactly what her game was. He probably did have her game figured out. "If you keep telling her to stop then Naruto will find a nickname that makes you feel more embarrassed by the minute."

Naruto puffed her cheeks and wrapped her arm around her boyfriend. Shouto twisted his head around and looked down at her puffed cheeks. A little snort escaped from his lips, hinting to the blonde that the boy found it amusing that she was trying her hardest to be angry at his comment. _But it is hard for me to be angry with him when he is so relax._ The boy always had his guard up around people and now he was starting to loosen up.

This was probably the biggest change she had ever seen in him.

"Now you make it seem like I'm actually trying to be a little shit," Naruto said. A smile played on her lips as Bakugou and Midoriya exchanged glances with each other before swirling their heads at them. Red eyes demanded for her to spill what the hell was happening between her and Shouto but the blonde raised an eyebrow.

If he wanted her to admit anything then he better verbally asked her.

The mismatch-haired boy shrugged. "You said it, not me."

_He is getting really comfortable around me._ Naruto smiled and hugged him tighter before letting go of his hand. A couple of months ago, her boyfriend would never ever make a comment like that to her in public or private. Then again, he would never try to call her Princess or Pretty Girl when they became friends or even when she started to loosen up around him.

"Alright!" Naruto blinked and swirled her head away from Shouto to focus her eyes on Pixie-Bob. The heroine smiled widely at them as she waved her pawed hand for them to gather around her. The students did so and the hero continued on. "Class B will be the first class to do the scaring while Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names written on them in the middle of the route, so bring that along!"

_Well as long as I have someone with me then I'm going to be fine._ Naruto gulped and reached her hand out to grab hold of Shouto's hand. If there was one other person with her then it wouldn't be that bad. It was easier for her to pretend to be brave if she had someone by her side. It would be even better if it was Shouto. The younger boy was indifferent when it came to these things.

There was no way he would scream like a girl if something terrifying went his way.

"All of you will draw lots to decide who will be your partners," Pixie-Bob informed them. Naruto blinked and knitted her eyebrows together at this piece of information. _So I have to pray to Kami that I get someone who won't scream loudly._ Her ears might bleed if it was someone like Hagakure. The girl made it no secret that she hated horror movies.

Shaking her head, the blonde blinked when the blond-haired woman held out a couple of number strips in front of her. _Please I get someone who doesn't scream! Shouto! Tokoyami! Hell even Bakugou!_ She took in another deep breath and picked up the number slip. If it was anyone else then she better prayed that none of the members of Class B could make some scary illusions.

She prayed to God that not one of them could conjure up ghosts or else she had a huge problem.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked down at the piece of paper and poked her tongue against her cheek. _Three._ That sounded like a better number than seven. Seven never brought her any good luck if she thought about it, but maybe three would be her lucky number this time. Yeah, nothing could go wrong if she thought about it in that way.

She knew that but dread crept up to her. Something did not feel right and she was not saying that, because of the whisper Kendou shared with Kodai. No, what worried her was the new chakra source that sat right on the edge of her circle of was not even Hibiki. The man stood right on the tree just behind Bakugou.

The chakra source wasn't Jiraiya even but someone else entirely. It felt familiar if you asked her but the whiskered teen didn't know where she sensed this chakra before. Maybe it was that Killer B? No, it didn't have the same vibe if you asked her. _But where the hell did I sense it?_ She should know whose chakra signature that was but her mind went blank.

"I guess we are partners, Uzumaki!"

Naruto blinked and swirled her head away from the cliff before blinking at the sight of a Jirou. The shudders and trembles running down the purple-haired girl's back which told the whiskered teen that her classmate was terrified. _I will have to be the brave one between us and make sure Jirou doesn't faint._ She needed Jirou to confirm her suspicion before she ran off to Aizawa.

Nothing ever good came whenever she sensed an unfamiliar chakra presence.

* * *

**Author Note:** Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter. Do tell me of what you like about the chapter and what you disliked about the chapter or of the whole series in general.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Uzumaki, why a-are we going on a different path?"_

Naruto did not look away from the cliff as Jirou clung to her arm. The moment the two of them entered the path, Naruto decided to take this as an opportunity to drag the shivering girl away from the path set for them. The blue glowing lights stood to the west, almost luring her to go back to the test of courage but the whiskered teen held back the urge to do it.

Taking another deep breath, the blonde darted her eyes to Jirou. Her classmate had her eyes fixated on the bugs crawling below them, her whole body shuddering and Naruto grimaced. That shudder alongside the fact her whole face was now as white as a ghost did not mean anything good if you asked her. If she was not careful with her words then her classmate was going to faint.

"I need you to confirm something."

Jirou stared at her with wide eyes and Naruto schooled her expression into a blank one. She could practically read what was going through her classmate's mind. Why would she want her to confirm something? Was this why she directed her away from the set path in front of them? Judging from the way the girl shivered and gulped, she guessed the girl figured out that it was nothing good.

While the purple-haired girl had lower marks then her, Jirou was still one of the smartest people in the class. The musically-inclined girl knew her well enough to know she was not the type of person to make requests. Naruto grimaced and closed her eyes. Requesting for help was not something she was well-known for in both Konoha and here.

But things were different now.

"What do you need me to confirm?" Jirou asked. Naruto stared at her, trying to figure out whether or not if the girl would faint if she informed her of her suspicion. The fact the girl still looked a little pale and couldn't meet her eyes told the whiskered teen that the girl was going to collapse with the news she had to tell her.

Black eyes gleamed with so much fear that she had to pause. Unlike her, this girl was only now starting her journey of becoming a hero or a soldier really when Naruto about it. How did she go about telling her without alerting anyone? It was difficult. Asking if she could hear another shinobi would bring too many questions.

She didn't even know if it was just shinobi here too.

"I just need you to check if there are more people here then necessary," admitted Naruto, rubbing the back of her neck. She kept her eyes focused on the pale-faced Jirou as the forest around them turned dead silent. "I know it might sound insane but I really think that we aren't the only ones here. My gut tells me that we aren't going to be having a simple test of courage tonight."

"Uzumaki, do you know what you are implying?" Jirou cried. "I-If that is true then how did they find us? No one knows about our trip except for the teachers, parents and our year mates! How would they—"

"—I don't know," answered Naruto, clenching her jaws together. She felt her stomach turned as several possibilities came to mind. What if they had a spy in their midst? That was always a possibility. What happened in USJ was because they stole the plans the day before their trip, but this was a whole different story entirely.

They had a Kabuto in their midst and that knowledge made her legs wobbled.

Jirou gulped. "I'm praying to god that you are wrong and that you are just being edgy because of this s-stupid test, Uzumaki."

The whiskered teen nodded and kept her eyes focused on the cliff. She prayed to every god in existence that was the case but her gut was rarely wrong. Her sensory skill rarely failed her. The only time it did was during the Chunin Exam and even then she had been distracted by her desire to go to the toilet.

It couldn't be coincidence she sensed an unfamiliar chakra signature on that cliff.

"If I'm wrong then I will make it up to you," Naruto promised. She honestly did not believe for one minute she was wrong, not when her whole body shuddered at the undeniable malicious chakra heading their way. But she could be wrong. There was always a chance her body was playing tricks on her. She prayed this was the case.

Because if there was another chakra user then it meant someone was going to get kidnapped again. It meant someone was target again. It could be anyone from Jirou to even little Kouta. Bakugou was a huge possibility too. His Kekkei Genkei was powerful and destructive. She could think of a lot of villages who would want their hands on him.

If they knew Bakugou was the half-nephew of her father then it would make him a bigger target too.

Shaking her head, Naruto stared at Jirou. The purple-haired girl slid a single ear jack down to the ground and furrowed her eyebrows together. What could the girl hear? Was there a lot of people? Could she even differentiate between them? It looked like the girl could differentiate them because Jirou was starting to turn as white as a piece of blank paper.

"T-There are several people heading in the direction of the other students," Jirou whispered. The girl gulped and directed her eyes at her. Her classmate's gaze was filled with so much fear, looking at her like she didn't know what to do now. Did she want her to make a decision of what to do? She could make a decision but not with that limited piece of information.

Several people implied that it wasn't just chakra users.

Naruto inhaled. "Did you hear what they have to say?"

Maybe if they knew who these people were after then she could warn Aizawa-sensei and have Hibiki watch after them alongside Bakugou. Even though the heroes have amazing Kekkei Genkei, the blonde knew they were no match against any shinobi. The scale in their powers were too great to overcome if you asked her.

"I only know that they have a list of people that they want to kidnap," Jirou whispered, frowning. She pulled out her ear jack from the ground and locked eyes with her. The fear disappeared and was now replaced with apprehension that made Naruto's stomach churned with concern. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and sat down on the ground.

The fact that there was a chakra user told her that this was the possibility. She knew this was the most likely possibility. But who could be their target? Was it everyone? No. If she was a Kage then a powerful Kekkei Genkei would be the most beneficial to them. Bakugou, Shouto and Midoriya were very much targets. Kaminari and Kirishima too when she thought about it.

Jirou wasn't a big possibility when they could use chakra to enhance their hearing.

"Did they say who they wanted to kidnap?" Naruto asked, looking up at the older girl. "We need to evacuate everyone and inform the teachers that those students needs to have more guards around them."

Jirou pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head. The whiskered teen grimaced. That made things even more difficult when she thought about it. Now they had to evacuate everyone and figured out who would be their targets. There was also the fact that the students were already spread out, which meant they were more likely to get attacked.

If she thought like a fellow shinobi, she would attack the students who were already too far away from their teachers and heroes. Naruto poked her tongue against her cheek and began to draw figurines in the dirt. But what if they targeted the students with Aizawa-sensei and Vlad King? There were quite a few Kekkei Genkei that was very much valuable over there.

Either way everyone was in danger.

"We need to warn the teachers but we aren't going to get there on time," Jirou muttered. "Even with your speed, you can't possibly get there in a space of five minutes can you?"

She could get there in less than five minutes. Throughout her time in Yuuei High, she had been careful enough to make it seem like she was only slightly above average. If more chakra was directed to her legs then it would be easy for the two of them to catch up with Aizawa-sensei alongside the supplementary students.

That could work but there was another thing she needed to consider. Even if she warned Aizawa-sensei, he wouldn't be able to warn the other heroes on time. He would also demand that she stayed behind because she didn't have one of those fancy ass license. But she couldn't fight like a hero tonight. This was going to be a battle between shinobi.

Even if she hated what being a shinobi meant, she was still a kunoichi of Konohagakure. That meant she did not have to answer to Aizawa-sensei when it came to this battle. Naruto licked her lips and looked down at her hands. The only other person who was higher than her in rank was Hibiki-ojisan. He was a Jounin and a member of the ANBU.

Only he could tell her to stand down.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto stood up from the ground and placed her hands together into a familiar hand seal. This was a long shot but with Hibiki and her here then it would be possible to save any children who were being targeted by the hidden villages. Not a single one of them was going to go through a breeding program if she had her say.

Not a single one of them was going to go through the pain of becoming a shinobi.

A cloud of smoke enveloped them and Naruto looked down at her outfit. The situation was dire when she had no kunai with her that she could use for the battle. The number of long-distance jutsu she knew was limited but this was going to be another challenge. A challenge that they needed to overcome because her classmates needed her to protect them.

"My clone is going to take you to Aizawa-sensei," Naruto announced. Her blue eyes fixated on the wide black eyes of her classmate before flickering to her grim-faced clones. "You are going to warn him of what you just told me. Tell him whatever he does, don't ever _leave _anyone alone! I'll warn the Wild, Wild Pussycats."

Jirou paused and stared at her with disbelief and suspicion. That intense look made her stomach churned, ready to make her vomit out all of the food content from her stomach. Did she know this was not her only plan? It looked like it. But if the girl thought she would spill out what her plan was then she was going to be disappointed with her.

"You are going to fight the villains, aren't you?" Jirou asked, grabbing hold of her clone's hand. The girl pressed her lips into a thin line and clenched her jaws together when the blonde kept quiet. "Uzumaki, we aren't heroes yet! Now that we know that there are villains after us, we should only inform the teachers and the heroes before running away!"

"I've no plan to fight villains," Naruto replied.

The villains could be left to the heroes but there was a familiar chakra signature to the south. That chakra signature made her blood boiled with rage and her stomach churned with worry. It was never good news if that _traitor_ was here. If she could sense him then it meant that a few of the students would probably have a fate worse than the breeding program or even becoming shinobi.

"Then what are you planning to do?"

Naruto exhaled and lied. "I'm going to evacuate the other students which is why I made so many clones."

The purple-haired girl observed her. The doubt in her eyes almost made her gulp but the whiskered teen exhaled and forced herself to lock eyes with her classmate. If she looked away then the girl would figure out she was lying and would probably try to convince her not to go off by herself. It would be a useless battle between them and they didn't have time.

After a couple of intense stare down, the girl finally nodded and her clone quickly swung Jirou over her shoulder before the girl could change her mind. Naruto watched as her clone ran away with Jirou. This was for the best. Aizawa-sensei and the others would be safe while she settled a long overdue score with that _**traitor**_**.**

She was going to find out who Orochimaru was after this time and prevent his plan from coming into fruition.

* * *

Something didn't feel right.

Sarutobi Hibiki grimaced and stared down at the smiling teens and the bouncing heroes. There was something in the air that made his stomach crawled with worry. The last time he felt this intense worry was that sudden attack during the Chunin Exams. The very same exam where his father lost his life right in front of his eyes. He grimaced and knitted his eyebrows together.

If his gut was right then it would mean there was probably going to be another attack tonight. _I can't interfere unless it is that missing nin after Naruto and Bakugou._ He rubbed his chin and darted his eyes to the path that Bakugou and that pretty boy walked on. Maybe it would have been a good idea to follow them instead of waiting for them to come back from the test of courage.

If anything happened to Minato's nephew or his daughter then Hibiki would never be able to look at Jiraiya, Tsunade or even Minato's grave.

The leaves rustled and his whole body shuddered at the mixture of warm and cold chakra tickled his senses. He pressed his lips into a frown and knitted his eyebrows together. This chakra definitely belonged to Naruto. Only the blonde would have two chakra sources that contradicted everything about the knowledge of chakra.

But judging from the amount of chakra leaking behind him, he guessed Naruto had used her chakra to make shadow clones again. It was less than the usual amount of chakra that she always radiated with.

"Naruto, shouldn't you be enjoying your test of courage?" asked Hibiki. He twisted his whole body around and locked eyes with Naruto. His brown eyes regarded the young girl and tilted his head to the side when the girl grimaced at his question, looking like she wished he hadn't asked that question. _Something definitely happened._ The frown on his face deepened.

The girl took a seat on the tree and sighed. "Boss wishes she can enjoy it."

_I should have known Naruto would send a shadow clone._ The frown deepened even more as the dread in his stomach crept up even more. It was never good news when the girl sent her clone instead of herself. The fact a clone was sent to him told him that there was something troubling the girl. It told him volumes of what was going through the kunoichi's mind.

He might have distanced himself from her because of work but Hibiki took care of Naruto when his father found her begging in the streets.

"Why did you send a shadow clone?" Hibiki asked. He schooled his expression into a blank one and picked up the monkey mask sitting right beside him. He slipped the mask back on and reverted to what his loving wife and mischievous son would call _work-mode_ Hibiki. A sigh escaped from his lips and the man straightened his back.

The shadow clone did not answer immediately, only focusing her eyes on the smiling students. There was a sad glint in her eyes, reminding Hibiki of the fact Naruto hadn't been _truly_ happy until she mixed with these children. The last time he saw the girl truly happy had been when she announced she became friends with the Hyuga heiress. Except her eyes did not shine as brightly as it shined around that pretty boy.

If Naruto was anything like her father then it would be difficult for her to leave that Pretty Boy when those three years were up.

"Boss found out that Villains are going to attack the students," the shadow clone finally replied. Hibiki pressed his lips into a thin line and regarded the chatting students below him. Villains. Right, these people didn't see the world as grey but white and black. If a person followed the laws and had one of those license then they were considered heroes.

But if a person broke the law and used their Kekkei Genkei then they were considered Villains.

Blue eyes gleamed with resignation and Hibiki stared blankly at the girl. He might be ANBU and a Jounin but his mission did not mean he had to protect these children. Even with Bakugou, he was only protecting the child from shinobi. Anything related with heroes and villains were out of his derestriction. If he got involved then it would bring too many questions.

"Naruto, why should I risk my job to save these kids?" Hibiki asked. He darted his eyes to the heroes before fixating his eyes on the brown-haired girl that his wife had been cheering for during the Sports Festival. "There are several heroes here, Naruto and if I save them then it will bring questions on you and me. I can't simply announce my presence because of a bunch of bad civilians with Kekkei Genkei."

The shadow clone narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms against her chest. Blue eyes radiated with rage like she couldn't believe he wasn't willing to risk his job to help them. This was a matter of the village security. There was also the fact he was ordered to protect her and Bakugou from any chakra user, not villains.

Kakashi might have gone off-course in the Wave Mission because his genin team felt pity for that bridge builder, but Hibiki would follow his orders.

"There are two other chakra users among the villains," the shadow clone replied. Hibiki froze as blue eyes pleaded for him to listen to what she had to say. "Boss thinks that one of the chakra users plan to take one of the students for a breeding program in one of the Hidden Villages. She needs you to guard the students from that chakra user while she handles the other chakra user!"

Two shinobi? Now that was bad. Hibiki grimaced and closed his eyes, allowing himself to sense the chakra signatures that Naruto was talking about. Several signatures ran across the forest but those were definitely Naruto and her clones. The other two chakra signatures were faint and not similar at all to each other. Both of them were very much familiar to him. One of them was the chakra signature of the man who had until recently stalked Bakugou. The other chakra user was…

His brown eyes widened and the man swirled his head at the shadow clone. "Are you going after that _**traitor**__, Uzumaki Naruto!"_

"Better me then you, Hibiki-ojisan," the clone retorted.

Hibiki studied the clone in front of him and held himself back from smacking the clone of _that stubborn girl_. If the clone popped then he would have no idea of what the hell was happening. Just knowing the situation made him want to tear his hair off and screamed at the girl. Like mother, like daughter! That girl never used her head when it came to something important. That something important being her life!

"Uzumaki Naruto, you aren't _strong enough_ nor do you have the mental capabilities to deal with that rat!" He snarled. The clone didn't flinch as the male grinded his teeth together as faded eyes flashed before him. "Kabuto murdered my subordinate and he was a jounin! I'm not losing you to that traitor!"

The clone furiously shook her head. "Boss thinks that Kabuto will tell her who Orochimaru might be targeting. She knows that the bastard likes to taunt and mess with her! She knows very well what he is capable of doing which is why she won't make the same mistake again! She won't let Kabuto and Orochimaru get their hands on any of these students! There won't be another Sasuke retrieval mission again!"

What if that girl failed again? Jiraiya and him would have to watch her spiral back into a haze of grief again. It had been so terrible that he made sure Konohamaru never saw the girl like that. His son worshipped the ground Naruto walked on, always claiming he would one day surpass the blond-haired girl and become Hokage like his grandfather.

He didn't want his heart to break again to see the girl revert back to that state or even that state when his own father picked her up from the streets.

The part of him that was Sarutobi Hibiki knew that he needed to go after his other charge, while the part of him that was Monkey knew that Bakugou and those students had no hope against a chakra user. Hibiki grinded his teeth together. Faith. That was all he could do because the greater good was more important now.

"I will deal with that chakra user, Naruto," Hibiki grimaced. "But once I'm done with dealing with that bastard, I will head your way and assist you but god help me Naruto…if you die then you bet your ass that I will find a way to bring you back to life and scold the living shit out of you!"

He could never look his son in the eye if anything happened to Naruto.

* * *

_Why are Jirou and Uzumaki here?_

Aizawa knitted his eyebrows together at the sight of his two students standing before him. Something must have happened for those two to come all the way here but what? And how did those two manage to get here before him? It had barely been fifteen minutes since he left them alone with the Wild, Wild Pussycats so how on earth had those two managed to get here.

The better question was why were they here?

"How the hell did you guys get here so fast?" Kaminari cried with a tone filled with shock. Yellow eyes gleamed with surprised before darting his eyes to the other students who were tightly wrapped around his white cloth. Aizawa thinned his lips as the 15-year-old boy gawked at the two girls. "Don't tell me that the two of you got so scared in the test of courage that you decided to come here! We can switch places!"

No smile or even the occasional playful smirk played on Jirou's lips at those words and Aizawa thinned his lips at this observation. Between Uzumaki and Jirou, the girl would occasionally loosen up around the boy or even poke fun at him. But the girl only shivered and darted her eyes to the woods before looking back at him.

Uzumaki took a step forward and stared at him with dead, serious eyes. From the moment he met this student, he always knew the girl was different from the other students. Abused had been one thing alongside the lack of trust but for the first time since Aizawa met Uzumaki, the girl stood like a soldier.

"We have a couple of villains heading our way," Uzumaki reported. Aizawa watched the whiskered teen, trying to figure out the state of her mind but nothing really stood out to him. Those eyebrows did not twitch. Her whole body looked as rigid as a rock. Those blue eyes did not shone with any emotions. It was like she was immune to her feelings.

That made his stomach churned with concern.

"_How do you know that?"_

"_Please tell us that you are joking! How the hell did those villains find out that we are here!"_

"_What happened?"_

Their cries pierced through the air and Aizawa threw a glare at the students, who quickly shut their mouths. Villains. He knew there had always been a possibility that villains would make their way here but the school had been careful with informing everyone where the students would be. The parents had the vaguest information alongside the students while only selected teachers knew about the location of the camp.

How did those villains find them? This was the second time they had villains attacking them which meant that this couldn't be a coincidence. He tightened his grip on the cloth and locked eyes with Jirou. The girl kept flickering her eyes between him, Uzumaki and the other students bound to his white cloth.

"Uzumaki asked me to check if I heard more people in the forest," Jirou explained. Her tone was laced with nerves and the words coming out of her mouth sounded like it had been rehearsed a thousand times. The girl probably had to practice her explanation while running here."I used my Quirk to confirm her suspicion and heard Villains talking about a whole list of students that they planned to kidnap."

Aizawa frowned. "Did they say who they want to kidnap?"

Jirou shook her head and the frown on his face deepened at this piece of news. That piece of information was important. Those students would need to be the one that needed extra, extra protection. Now it would be searching a needle in the hay to find out which students that needed to have extra supervision. They would also need to stop the test of courage.

The Underground Hero grimaced and eyed Uzumaki. The girl couldn't fully meet his eyes and then something clicked in his mind. Out of all of his students, this girl was not the type to simply go with Jirou when there were other students in trouble. If he knew Uzumaki as well as he did then this wasn't the real Uzumaki.

He growled. "You aren't the real Uzumaki, are you?"

"Boss is going to warn the others," the clone admitted.

Aizawa regarded the clone standing right in front of him. In the months he came to teach Uzumaki, he learnt when to pick up when the girl was lying to him. Those blue eyes couldn't meet his eyes entirely and she would fiddle with her hand. That _impulsive_ student of his was going to get herself into trouble wasn't she? She was going after those villains even when he warned her about doing things without his permission.

He would scold the original Naruto later and demand to know why she had to think she could be the only one to fight them. Aizawa exhaled and looked at the fidgeting clone before locking eyes with Jirou. The impulsive need to fight villains would be addressed later but another thing needed to be addressed when he thought about it.

"How did you find out that there was going to be another attack?" Aizawa asked. The clone froze and could not meet his eyes. He could see the clone sweating bullets like she was terrified of telling him of how she knew. Did he think the girl was a mole? No. The girl wouldn't come all this way to warn them but it was odd. Nothing about her Quirk would allow her to figure out that villains were going to come.

The girl would have to actively use her Quirk to figure it out and last time he checked, there was nothing in the Test of Courage that meant the girl would use her Quirk first.

"How am I supposed to know?" The clone asked, not fully meeting his eyes. "I'm not the original Naruto! I'm only a clone!"

Several heads bobbed their heads in agreement but Aizawa only raised a single eyebrow at the clone. He wasn't stupid. From the moment those clones revealed that they could do the same things as Naruto, he figured out how it was possible. The clone was created from chakra, which meant that she was apart of Naruto.

"You still came from Uzumaki," he replied. Everyone blinked at the reminder while the clone grimaced, not even attempting to deny the fact that came out of his mouth. Aizawa dropped the white cloth and looked out to the lodge standing right in front of him before looking back at the clone. "You know very well how the original Naruto knew when you know everything she knows."

The clone scowled and knitted her eyebrows together. Aizawa only stared at the clone. Would she tell him of how the original Naruto know how they were going to get attack? Or would she try to lie to him? Judging from the internal battle in her eyes, he figured the clone was debating whether to tell him the truth or to lie to him.

"Boss is a sensor," the clone finally admitted. The Underground Hero furrowed his eyebrows together while the students swirled their heads at the clone, eyes widening at this piece of information. "We have always been good with sensing chakra users and well she noticed two signatures that weren't supposed to be here."

_Chakra users? Two signatures that weren't supposed to be here?_ He frowned and looked at the clone, inspecting her for any lies but the girl kept her eyes fully locked onto him. It didn't even flicker for a nanosecond and that told him that the clone was being absolutely truthful to him. Knowing this made his stomach churned with concern instead of relief as his mind processed what the clone just informed him.

Chakra users implied Uzumaki knew there were more than one person with the same Quirk like her. It implied Chakra wasn't some kind of Quirk but something else entirely. But what could it be? Users implied storage. Now that he thought about it, the girl was completely vague about her Quirk in her file. The only implication that it was energy but that energy made the girl do things that mimic other Quirks.

"Chakra isn't a Quirk, is it?" Aizawa questioned the clone. Jirou's eyes widened while the clone frowned. Bingo. What his most talented student had been doing for the last couple of month had been nothing short of extraordinary. He frowned and looked at the girl with careful consideration. "Uzumaki doesn't have a Quirk, does she?"

"We do," the clone commented. Everyone blinked and Aizawa raised his eyebrow up to his hairline as the clone looked down at her hand before looking down at her stomach. "The members of the Uzumaki Clan were born with powerful and dense chakra, which is why Boss can make those chains. But where we come from, our Quirk isn't actually recognized as a Quirk. Outsiders like you would think it is one but not _**them**_."

Confusion flooded him as Aizawa stared at the fidgeting clone right in front of him. Outsiders. That implied his student definitely did not come from Japan or any of the foreign countries. Another country that was definitely not in the map in the world. It also implied what Uzumaki could do could be done by the people from where she came from.

"What do you mean Outsiders?" Kirishima demanded. Red eyes flared with confusion as Uzumaki pressed her lips into a thin line, not meeting them in the eyes. She looked to the lodge before flickering her eyes to the cliff and then to the forest. "Uzumaki, what the hell is going on? What are you hiding from us?"

The clone shook her head and took a step forward.

"I already spilled too much information," the clone admitted. She grimaced and looked straight up to the night sky. "Boss only wanted me to tell you that Villains were coming and that Aizawa-sensei can't leave the students alone at the lodge even with Vlad-King. If that _rat_ takes any one of you then it would be hard for her or the others to track them down! Orochimaru isn't easy to track down."

With those final words, the clone popped itself out of existence and left Aizawa with more questions on his most problematic student.

* * *

**Author Note:** So the Vanguard attack is going to happen and Naruto is after Kabuto. Here are a couple of questions:

**Question 1:** How do you think the meeting between Naruto and Kabuto will go? Do you think that Naruto will hold onto her temper?

**Question 2:** How do you think the relationship of Aizawa and Naruto will change when Aizawa learns that Naruto is a kunoichi?

**Question 3:** Who do you think will be the second target?

Please tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and how you feel about the changes in the series.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original character mentioned.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter

* * *

_Why is Uzumaki here?_

Izuku curled his lips into a frown as Naruto jumped down from the tree. It had barely been five minutes since she left with Jirou to do the test of courage. Now here she was brushing off the dirt and leaves without a care in the world, well except for the fact that her bright blue eyes radiated with concern and fear.

It took a lot to make the girl terrified like that and the fact he knew this made his stomach churn with dread. What happened for Uzumaki to show this much fear? What happened in the forest? Why did she look like that? Where was Jirou? Something must have happened for the girl to come back without Jirou.

"Everybody needs to evacuate now," Naruto declared. Nothing in her tone left any time for them to argue and her eyes gleamed with a hardened look that reminded him of All Might during a battle. Her eyes flickered to the cliff ahead of them before looking back at them. "Villains are on their way here and they have a whole list of people that they want to kidnap."

Any joy and excitement that was in the atmosphere faded at those words, replaced with sharp intakes of breath. Izuku didn't know about Hagakure, Uraraka or even Iida but he felt his stomach dropped with fear at those words. Villains. No one wanted to hear that title on their trip but he knew Uzumaki. He knew she wouldn't warn them if she didn't know for certain they were going to come.

The three remaining members of The Wild, Wild Pussycats exchanged glances between each other before throwing a glance at Naruto. Izuku kept his eyes focused on the blonde. He knew from the way the girl constantly tap her feet together that she was irritated. When he had done that short training with Jiraiya, he noticed Naruto would do it whenever the white-haired man took his time to explain things.

"Uzumaki, how do you even know this?" Pixie Bob asked, doubt coating her tone as her eyes fixated on the girl. Her eyebrows knitted together and flickered her eyes to the other members of her team before taking another step forward. "And where is your partner?"

How would Uzumaki know? That was a good question. Izuku knew from his own notes and observation that even with her heightened senses that Naruto couldn't detect villains from a very far distance. There were too many people for her to jump up to the conclusion. _There is only one thing that could have given Uzumaki a hint of what was happening._ Green eyes widened and he swirled his head at Naruto.

The blonde kept shifting left and right as her eyes darted to the forest again like she was expecting something. _No, like she probably sense something from over there._ That was the biggest clue when Izuku thought about it. This was his confirmation but it was one thing for him to theorize and another thing for it to be confirmed.

"People from your part of the world are coming here, aren't there?"

Everyone blinked and swirled their heads at him, eyebrows shooting up to their hairline, and Izuku focused on the whiskered teen. Naruto kept quiet. No furrowed eyebrows that indicated whether or not she was debating to tell them the truth or not. Nothing in her expression indicated that he might be right about his suspicion.

None of the other students spoke as they waited for Naruto to open her mouth. Izuku did not allow his eyes to move away from the blonde, not even when their classmates and the heroes looked at them with questioning eyes. There was nothing he could tell them because it was not his business to tell. If he knew a better way to word things then he wouldn't say such things.

"There are two of them but Boss is going to handle one of them," the shadow clone confirmed. Izuku paled while the students hurdled together as if sensing that the words coming out of the clone's mouth is nothing good. "Hibiki-ojisan is going to handle the one heading your way 'cuz he is closer to you guys then Boss."

_Hibiki._ That name sounded familiar to him but where did he hear that name again? Izuku's eyes widened as the memory of a grim-faced man in his mid-thirties scolding Naruto came to his mind. Wasn't he the man that told Uzumaki that she was lucky Kumo didn't kidnap her? Yeah, he was definitely that guy but why would he be here?

No, there was a better question for him to ask.

"Has he been following us the whole time, Uzumaki?" Izuku asked. Their classmates eyes widened at the question and he felt himself flinching when Uzumaki threw a glare at him for questioning things. _What else could I have asked? It is terrifying to know that __**scary**__ man has been following us!_ The thought made him paused as he quickly recalled that Uzumaki didn't see things the same way he did.

She probably realized too if that sight was of any indication.

"He has been following Explosive Head, not everyone here!" Naruto replied. Frustration and annoyance leaked out of her voice and Izuku could see the girl was reigning in her temper. Well the clone was trying to reign in her temper because the original Naruto did a better job of keeping her emotions in check. "Y'know being related to my father means you are going to have a lot of enemies."

_Being related to my father means you are going to have a lot of enemies._ The knowledge made him knit his eyebrows and tilt his head at her. Not once since the revelation of their relations, did the girl ever talk about her father. It was strange. Kacchan made a point never to talk about it, not even when he asked how his half-uncle ended up in Naruto's birthplace.

"Can someone please explain what the two of you are talking about?" Hagakure asked. A squeak escaped her voice and he felt his lips curled into a frown at the reminder that they were surrounded by their classmates. _I can't ask anymore questions._ Izuku grimaced and then looked to the shadow clone. Blue eyes darted to the trees.

The tree branch rustled again and almost everybody jumped up at the sight of a tall figure jumping down. _W-Why is he wearing a Monkey mask this time around?_ The man was rather tall, probably little bit shorter than Todoroki, and Izuku bet behind that mask was shaggy dark-brown hair. With closer inspection, the green-haired teen noticed a tanto strapped around his waist.

This was definitely Hibiki.

"_Who the hell is this guy!"_

The students took a step back while the Wild, Wild Pussycats took a step forward. Their eyes gleamed with suspicion and Tiger charged forward. His hand lurched forward to punch the man, only for the masked man to take a step forward and pushed his foot forward, which explained how the hero quickly tripped over his own feet. Almost everyone blinked except for Naruto.

She only scowled at the man.

"Aren't you supposed to be dealing with shinobi number 2, Hibiki-ojisan?" Uzumaki demanded, folding her arms against her chest. Mandalay and Pixie Bob helped Tiger up and then swirled their heads at the masked man. "Didn't the other clone told ya that you have to deal with that bastard? Why the hell are you still here?"

Hagakure leaned closer to him and asked. "This is Hibiki-ojisan?"

"Yup," Izuku whispered. He tried to keep his tone calm and even as his eyes focused on the man before them. It was hard for him to figure out how the man was feeling when the mask covered up everything. He couldn't even make out the man's eyes behind that mask, which made him wonder how the shinobi could even see with that thing covering up his face.

It could be like Kamui Woods mask but he honestly doubt it. Maybe he could ask Uzumaki later when they were done with the whole thing because why did the man have the need to wear a mask?

"How many times did my father and Tsunade-sama told you not to call me by my given name when I wear this mask?" Hibiki asked. No emotion leaked out of his voice, which was a stark contrast to the very first meeting that Izuku had with the man. The shadow clone only shrugged while everyone knitted their eyebrows together. "And if I were you Naruto, I would start evacuating everyone here."

"He is coming quite quickly, isn't he?" Uzumaki mused as her eyes darted to the woods before flickering to the path straight behind them. The others knitted their eyebrows together. "You think he is coming even more quickly because of me? He wasn't this eager when Boss sensed him."

Hibiki eyed her. "Well I have to guess that the man isn't as sensitive as you and his range of detection is lower than your own detection. By the time he gets here, he will probably realize that there are several copies of you running around the whole forest."

Everyone became quiet and jerked their heads at the two rather calm individuals. Izuku couldn't stop himself gawking at them, uncertain of whether to marvel at their calmness or to call the both of them insane. A quick glance at the others told him that they had the same debate within themselves. He cleared his throat and the man sighed.

"I know that this is none of my business but I believe heroes are supposed to save people, right?" Hibiki eyed the three members of the Wild, Wild Pussycat and sighed at the stunned looks being thrown by the three adults. "Mandalay right? Can you evacuate the kids and ordered all of the children to come back if Naruto's clones hasn't warned them yet. Tiger! I need you to accompany them in case one of these Villains tries to intercept them!"

Mandalay jerked her head at him. "Wait a second! How do you know that—"

"Does it matter how the hell I know?" Hibiki demanded. Izuku could almost imagine the man was rolling his eyes at them for that question because that tone in his voice told him that the man thought she was being slow. "Do what I _fucking _tell you to do and get these kids out of here before that bastard gets here with his comrades."

There was something deeply commanding about his tone because in just a matter of seconds, Mandalay scrambled to do what she had been ordered. The students gathered together and formed a single line as the woman scrunched her eyebrows together, no doubt in an attempt to warn the other students.

Izuku stared at his fellow students and then paused as a realization dawn upon him.

"I'm going to get Kouta! He doesn't know what's happening!"

Before anyone could tell him to stay put, Izuku began to sprint in the direction of Kouta's secret hideout.

_I hope I get there before the villains get to him._

It might be reckless of him but he couldn't sit and wait for someone to rescue that kid.

* * *

_Who the hell are they after this time._

Smoke filled her nose as she jumped through the trees behind the path that she would have been on if she hadn't sense that _cruel and cold_ chakra from the cliffs. The wind smacked against her face as her heart thundered against her ears. If she had to guess from the movement of Kabuto, he was trying to lead her far away from the others.

_He is acting like a decoy._ That could be the only explanation for why he was moving further away from the lodge. If this was three years ago then she would never think like this. No three years ago, she had been a bigger mess. _I was less certain about myself._ She hadn't known Kabuto well and laid her trust in him.

She forgot the little details about him…like those ninja info cards.

_But if he based everything that he knows on those cards then he doesn't know __**everything**__ on me._ Naruto licked her dried lips. He probably thought he had an idea of her abilities and her fighting skill. Sasuke was definitely going to be brought up because Kabuto was a malicious man. He probably knew about Shouto too because the bastard likes digging things up.

If the adrenaline inside of her rushed like a stream then it was flooding through her like a fast flowing river now.

"_You know you are the biggest fool to go after that man,"_ The Kyuubi commentedfrom inside of her mind. She poked her tongue against her cheek and kept her eyes focused on the trees ahead of them. It would be hypocritical of her to say she wasn't a fool. Only idiots would do what she did. This was something she warned Midoriya, Shouto and Iida not to do.

Naruto exhaled and channeled even more chakra to her legs. "_I know that I'm a fool but Kabuto is almost easy to predict if I think about it, Kyuubi. He is going to try and get into my head by saying shit that he knows will make me have doubts. Things that will make me angry."_

If Kabuto succeeded in whatever scheme then she would lose control of the Kyuubi. That could not happen. There were people out there who couldn't handle the chakra of the Kyuubi. There was another huge possibility that the villains might be after her. _But I can break myself out unless that shinobi can use seals._ She grimaced. No, if that ever happened then she would need to leave some kind of proof.

"_Or you could have taken back up,"_ The Kyuubi retorted. _"Maybe you could have asked that Yaoyorozu to put a tracker on you because what if those people have that Kekkei Genkei that can transport people?"_

That was actually a brilliant idea and if she was not a 100% certain Kabuto sensed her then she would turn back to do what the Kyuubi suggested. _I can't believe he is giving me ideas of how to save my own ass._ That would have been nice a couple of years ago. Probably would have been nice if he suggested reasonable plans when they had those C-rank missions.

"_You know if I didn't know any better, I think you are starting to care for me,"_ Naruto said. She tried to not sound like she was not mocking him but the blonde knew better than to believe that the Kyuubi actually cared about her. Sure he saved her a couple of times but the beast liked to remind her that he was the reason she still lived. _"Did you grow fond of me, after all?"_

"_I hate your fucking guts,"_ The Kyuubi retorted with a snort. The whiskered teen held herself back from laughing at the typical answer of the beast, choosing instead to focus on where Kabuto was leading her to. "_But if you die then I will reform and I hate the idea of reforming and you filthy humans trying to experiment on me! That is even worse then being stuck inside an idiot!"_

Naruto felt her eyebrows twitched at the insult directed at her before stopping on the tree to look up at the night sky. _Death._ That single word brought a chill down her back. Throughout her young life, she had never been terrified of the possibility of death. Well that was not true. She had been petrified in the Wave Mission but then she got over it when Sasuke called her a scaredy cat.

It was strange but she felt more fear at the knowledge that she could close her eyes for the final time _now_ then during the Wave Mission.

"_I don't want to die either,"_ Naruto admitted. She frowned when Kabuto stopped in his tracks and began to suppress her chakra before continuing on with her own confession. If the Kyuubi could be honest then she could do the same thing. "_Y'know I really want to do that normal stuff like grow old, have kids and get married. I know this time around that there will be even more people who will be upset if I die."_

The Kyuubi made no comment and for the first time in five minutes, her mind was dead silent. It was ridiculous if she thought about it. It was completely selfish of her to want those things. With the occupation she chose for herself, growing old and dying in bed was a luxury that she had to strive for. Marriage wasn't bad but kids…

If she had the Akatsuki after her then children would never be a possibility unless she destroyed them. _I also have the whole Sasuke thing to deal with._ Naruto grimaced. If the bastard had been in the right mindset then it would be so easy for her to abandon him but there was a reason he left her alive. He could have killed her but he didn't do it.

It was naivety but she knew the old Sasuke was there, ready to come out again and that was the Sasuke she wanted Shouto to meet. That was the Sasuke she wanted her grandmother, Bakugou and the others to meet. Not the person who wanted to murder his brother. But the person, who would be happy for her once she told him about all these family members that she found.

The brother who she wanted to get along with her boyfriend if they ever stayed together three years later.

"_You are naïve and egoistic for chasing after __**that rat **__if you don't want to die,"_ the Kyuubi grumbled. Naruto grimaced and resumed the chase with her heart pounding against her chest like it wanted to claw its way out. _"You are too cocky if you think you can beat him. Last time, it was Mito's granddaughter that saved your arrogant ass! Who is going to save you this time! Why the hell are you chasing after him!"_

Those words really did make it seem like the beast was worried about her and that brought a small frown. Should she be honest with him? The beast probably jumped to conclusion of why she chased after Kabuto. She knew what he and maybe even Hibiki thought her reasons had been. _Sasuke_. Everything lead back to her best friend.

"_I-I'm fucking terrified of fighting him,"_ Naruto admitted. She allowed her voice inside of her mind to waver and the chills ran down her spine. Her throat dried up as several eyes came to her mind but the one that made her wavered the most was Shouto._ "I know I can't beat him but I can buy time! I know Kabuto likes to taunt and toy with me! But he will spill me information on who Orochimaru is after because of his ego!"_

He probably would never spill to Hibiki because his reactions wouldn't amused him, but Naruto knew she was a different story for him. He loved to mock her. _That's why you can't take on Sasuke! You don't have what it takes to be a shinobi._ Bastard acted like he had her all figured out but they could play a game.

A game where he figured out that those cards that he had on her were nothing but things that she pretended to be.

"_What will you do after he spills the information?"_ The Kyuubi growled. Naruto slowed down as she felt the chakra signature in front of her becoming warmer with excitement and darted her eyes to the night sky. _"You expect me to believe that you are going to leave him alone with that connection to the snake and the Uchiha?"_

Naruto licked her dried lips. It would be amazing if Kabuto would give her any information but it would be destructive for her to go after him at her current level. _I am nowhere ready to fight or even chase after Sasuke._ Chasing after him would drain her mentality and she was never going to get through to Sasuke if she couldn't fix herself up properly.

She needed to grow even more in terms of her emotions and mental health because last time resulted her in her breakdown. _I don't want to put Shouto and the others through what Hinata went through._ They didn't deserve that. None of them did. Shouto deserved better than to see her spiral out of control again and Bakugou would be furious with her if she reverted back to that pathetic state.

"_I have another three more years before Orochimaru plans to take over Sasuke's body,"_ Naruto finally replied. She kept her tone cool and calm as her eyes took in the glint of grey hair that glimmered in the moonlight. "_Maiming Kabuto will do nothing in terms of bringing Sasuke back. It won't bring him back but I need to know who got Orochimaru's attention. Whose Kekkei Genkei would he want?"_

Her legs came to halt and Naruto felt herself trembled when the man in front of her slowly turned around. Three years ago, she lost a friend and blamed herself alongside Orochimaru for what happened. Every single night until her therapy sessions began, she cursed herself for having so much naïve trust in the man in front of her. He betrayed her. He worked for the man that _murdered_ her grandfather figure.

"I thought you would be faster in chasing me, Naruto-chan."

Naruto clenched her jaws together.

"Long time, no see…Kabuto."

* * *

A/N: So this was a short chapter. Here is a question for you, how do you think Bakugou and Todoroki will react if they knew what Naruto plans to do? The answer to that question would be revealed in the next chapter. Also do tell me what you think of the interaction between Kurama and Naruto in this chapter. Do you wish to see more of this kind of interaction?

Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original character.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_This stupid test isn't terrifying enough!"_

Shouto sighed and flickered his eyes to Bakugou. They were probably now close to the checkpoint and the boy hadn't stopped grumbling over how stupid this test was. _I get the point._ He should have requested someone to switch with him if the boy was going to grumble like this. Then again, it might be false bravado because just only five minutes ago, the boy jumped after that fifth group of scarers.

Even now he still felt a little bit jumpy when that girl from Class B materialized from the ground. Just remembering what happened made his heart pound even harder against his chest. _I think it is the first time I said oh like that._ It was a good thing Naruto hadn't been there because he would have to try to control his reaction.

Naruto didn't do well with anything that could be a scene from a horror movie.

"You got terrified when we passed the fifth group of scarers," Shouto reminded Bakugou. He offered the boy a blank look and the older teen scowled and glared at him. It should bring chills down his spine but Naruto's glares were more terrifying than her cousin. Now when the girl glared at him, it felt like a bucket of cold water washed over him.

Not that Naruto glared at him often. That honor had always been reserved to Kaminari and Mineta, who made it a point to perv on the whiskered teen or any of the other girls.

"You fucking jumped too!" Bakugou grumbled. The glare sharpened and still Shouto only raised a single eyebrow at the blond-haired teen. Did he ever make any comment that he hadn't been terrified? _He probably can't think of a good comeback._ This was the only explanation for why the boy would state the most obvious thing.

He exhaled and then paused when the tree above him rustled, leaves falling down to the ground. Shouto exchanged a glance at Bakugou and without any words between them, came to the silent agreement of what to do. Sparks crackled from Bakugou's hand while he increased the temperature of his left side. Flames erupted from the palm of his hand.

_Swoosh._

"You guys need to react even faster," a familiar voice teased. Shouto blinked and furrowed his eyebrows as Naruto stood right in front of them with her hands dug into the pocket of her shorts. A bright, _sunny_ smile played on her lips but the mismatch-haired boy felt a nagging feeling tugging in his stomach.

He knew Naruto well enough to know she wasn't the type of person to abandon her partner. _She would rather stick by Jirou's side then follow us here._ Something must have happened for her to be here but if something happened then Naruto wouldn't stand before them with a smile. She would chase after trouble. The only thing that would make complete sense would be if…

"Naruto sent you, didn't she? What happened?" Shouto demanded. Bakugou blinked and swirled his head at him like he couldn't believe it took him that quickly to figure out that this was a clone. He cracked his knuckles and stared at the shadow clone. Even though the clone shared some of his girlfriend's personality traits and looked exactly like her, it was easy to figure it out when they considered Naruto's personality.

The scowl on Bakugou's face told him that the boy figured it out quickly too.

"Boss sensed that there were Villains on their way here," the shadow clone replied. Her blue eyes darted to the south before flickering to the location where the other students were supposed to be. _She is worried about the others but knowing Naruto, she probably made a plan to protect the others._ He exhaled. "They have two people who can use chakra. Boss will handle one of them while Hibiki-ojisan will handle the other one."

Shouto pressed his lips into a thin line and furrowed his eyebrows together. _She will handle one of them?_ His stomach churned at the knowledge of what his girlfriend planned to do. He should have faith when it came to Naruto. The whiskered teen was the strongest person he knew but the blonde was also one of the most impulsive people he knew.

He knew Naruto well enough to know she might do something reckless again. _Last time she had Gaara to help her but what about now?_ He felt his palms moistened as various scenarios came to his mind. What if the girl get herself killed? These people could do various techniques! These people would definitely try to kill her.

What the hell was Naruto thinking of going after one of them without back-up?

"Which way did the original Naruto go?"

The shadow clone didn't meet his eyes and rubbed the back of her neck. Shouto frowned and felt his eyebrows twitched at the realization of what Naruto's clone planned to do. They better not do it. He had been friends with her since the first month of school. He knew all the signs of when the girl debated over whether or not to tell him the truth.

"I-I don't know where she went," the clone declared. The fact she stuttered but met his eyes told him that she wasn't completely lying nor was she telling him the complete truth. _She knows the general direction._ That much he could deduce from the way her _pretty_ blue eyes darted north but the exact location of where Naruto went was a mystery to her.

Bakugou clicked his tongue. "Tell us where the fucking hell she went, _Fake!_"

"We can't let you fight that guy alone," Shouto reasoned, locking eyes with the clone. His anger and frustration must have leaked out to his voice because the shadow clone blinked while Bakugou swirled his head at him. It was like the boy thought he couldn't believe he would get angry with Naruto. Did the boy think because he has feelings for Naruto that he would act like a lovesick idiot?

He clenched his jaws together as the clone looked down at her feet.

"You and Bakugou can't handle the opponent that Boss chose to deal with," the clone said. Her voice was even but Shouto could see the clone's shoulders trembling with fear. "Kabuto likes to fuck around with people's minds and neither of you are people who don't have issues. That _little rat_ will use whatever issues that the both of you have against you."

Shouto clenched his jaws together and felt the flames of his left side ready to explode at those words. _Reckless._ That was the only word to describe the girl. Yeah, he had problems but his girlfriend had so many issues too. If that bastard could use their issues against them then the same went for her. _Why does she always think she has to do everything by herself?_ He clenched his jaws together.

"You can't always think that you know best!" He snarled. The clone took a step back and Shouto exhaled, trying to reign in his growing temper. He doubt that Naruto would know what he said to her clone but he would repeat it later to her. "You grilled me, Midoriya and Iida over what we did and now you are doing the same reckless thing we did! This isn't your burden and you definitely can't do everything by yourself!"

The clone blinked and blinked while Bakugou snorted. Shouto ignored the snort and took in several deep breaths as he tried to think of what to tell the girl. It was going to get repeated anyway but he would drill it into her head. _She can't think because she is strong that she has to do everything by herself._ People failed when they did things by themselves.

"Shouto…"

"I know you think that this is your responsibility but your life means something," Shouto declared. "If you continue on this path then that makes you really arrogant and egoistical, doesn't it? How are you any better than Sasuke? You can be the strongest person in the world but that doesn't mean you have to do things by yourself!"

The clone kept quiet and Shouto felt his whole chest heaving as his mismatch eyes locked onto her. _She is going to get herself killed with that line of thinking._ He could feel Bakugou staring at him with wide, confused eyes but he ignored the question coming out of those red eyes. The business with Sasuke was something that Naruto would have to tell him.

Besides, he couldn't tell the story without having a desire to freeze or burn someone to death.

"You are right that Boss can't do everything by herself but Boss is also pretty terrified of the idea of either of you being kidnapped by Kabuto," the shadow clone admitted. Her voice was as soft as butter and her eyes almost teared up if that moistened eyes were of any indication. The clone kept her eyes fixated on the both of them. "We don't want to lose you! If it fucking hurts when Sasuke broke his promise to _us_ then it will be a 100 times worse if you are taken away."

Shouto kept his mouth shut and felt his throat tightened slightly at those words. _We like you so much that it will destroy Boss even more._ That was the unspoken words coming out of the clone's mouth. The knowledge made him gulped and he thought carefully of what to tell the clone. When the whole thing was over, he would tell her those words again.

"It will also hurt for me if I lose you too."

He didn't want a repeat of USJ.

* * *

"_So we finally meet face-to-face.."_

Hibiki pressed his lips into a thin line and stared at the young man standing right in front of him before flickering his eyes at the man and woman standing right in front of him. Only one chakra user if his senses were right. The other two were probably only Kekkei Genkei users, which meant he could just leave them alone. _It won't be a big problem if they run because the heroes can handle them._ This _little stalker _not so much.

This little stalker knew enough jutsu and was fast enough to kill them before they could even blink their eyes. He fingered his tanto before darting his eyes to the villains. _They are not very prepared, are they? Nothing about them tells me that they are prepared._ The fact their eyes widened and looked at him like they didn't expect him to be here.

"You are more like a dog then a monkey," the brown-haired man commented with a scowl. Annoyance leaked out of his voice and Hibiki knew from those blue eyes that he didn't expect him to be here. Bastard probably thought because there were heroes that he would abandon his charge. "You sensed me and had all of those children evacuated."

Hibiki eyed him and allowed himself to snort at the accusation.

"And you are more like a cowardly pest," he taunted. Anger leaked out of those blue eyes while the two other villains glanced at each other. _They are probably debating of whether to chase the kids or to fight me._ The kids should be at the lodge by now and should be guarded by the heroes. "You always try to kill Bakugou and Naruto, only to stop whenever you sense that I'm nearby."

Isamu growled and it amused Hibiki just how easy it was to rile the young man with the reminder of his weakness. _He isn't completely stupid or reckless._ Anyone else fueled with revenge wouldn't give a crap about his presence or even Jiraiya. He could recall the number of times that there had been an attempt on Naruto's life as she grew up.

If neither him nor Kakashi guard her then the honor would have been left to Itachi. _I don't know where that boy went wrong._ Not once during the whole time that he occasionally worked with the prodigy, did he ever sense that the boy was going to lose it. If he ever sensed that the boy was going to crack then he would have suggested to his father to kick the boy out of ANBU.

"You two go search for that snake and Shigaraki target," Isamu barked. The two villains glanced at each other and then raised their eyebrows at the little _cocky,_ _punk_ standing right in front of him. Hibiki held back as snort when those blue eyes narrowed at him. "I will _kill_ this _little monkey _while you capture the two targets. I will capture Uzumaki Naruto while you track down the two boys."

_So they are definitely working with Orochimaru._ There was a hint of the possibility of Orochimaru working together with these villains when he sensed Kabuto but now this confirmed it. This was definitely not good. Looking at these villains and their eager eyes, he probably would have to inform Jiraiya of that snake's plan.

He could only think of the _horrible _experiments that the man planned to do.

"You are so cocky to think that you can kill me so easily," Hibiki commented as the lizard-like villain and the female villain headed in the direction of the lodge. _Most of these children should be out of the forest or hiding somewhere._ None of those children shared the reckless bravery that Naruto had. Well Bakugou and that Midoriya had it but they would know better than to fight. "If you think I will let you kill or capture these kids then you have another thing coming."

He rubbed the back of his neck and felt the satisfying crack on his shoulder blades as blue eyes gleamed with excitement for the challenge presented. _Arrogant child._ If there was anything he hated, it was arrogant little brats. They always believed they knew better and always underestimate their opponents. They never made battles fun.

"You know the people who talk the most, are probably the weakest people," Isamu gloated. Blue eyes gleamed with irritations and arrogance as his hands come up to a hand seal. _Snake. _Kid was probably going to do an Earth Jutsu but which one? There are so many jutsu and the kid was from Iwa. That village was well-known for their Earth Jutsus. He flickered his eyes to the ground before looking back at the man.

The light-skinned man looked a lot more darker as if he coated himself with mud. _The fact that he coated himself with it means that it must be a form of armor._ That would prove a challenge. Unlike Tsunade and even Naruto, he didn't have that enhanced strength. His chakra control was not perfect enough for him to try and mimic what his father student's technique.

Blood leaked out of his mouth when the young man smashed his fist against his stomach. His stomach screamed in pain as blue eyes gleamed with joy. _This jutsu doesn't only increase his defense but also his strength._ He adjusted his mask and held his groaning stomach before rolling over as Isamu smashed his hand down on the ground. The ground cracked and crumbled from the single punch.

_There is no water for me to use __**that **__jutsu._ Hibiki clicked his tongue and ducked as Isamu continued to rain punches and kicks at him. The lack of water was not a big deal. But the lack of trees in the area was a problem. Deception would be difficult without a place to hide but he still had several weapons in his arsenal.

Jumping back, Hibiki reached out into his pouch and pulled out a smoke bomb. The pain in his stomach was no longer screaming at him, only whimpering when he smashed the smoke bomb on the ground. _This should buy me enough time for him to realize __**that**__ jutsu._ Nothing could break through a rock armor, not when it was as hard as a diamond.

The only thing that could break through this kind of jutsu would be a lightning jutsu.

_It isn't my affinity but luckily I know some jutsu._ He exhaled and took a step back as his hands weaved through several hand seals. Breaking through that armor was the most important thing right now. A grimace played on his lips as a kunai zoomed straight towards him. A single cut against his cheek as the kunai stabbed the tree behind him.

A tingling sensation ran down his spine and his vision blurred slightly. _Poison. He coated the kunai with poison!_ Hibiki clenched his jaws together and took a deep breath. If he was lucky then the poison would be a slow-acting but if he was really unlucky then it would be quick. He had to make it quick. Naruto needed back-up.

The smoke faded slightly to reveal a smirking Isamu and his clone quickly charged at him. _Break that armor so I can kill this son of bitch once and for all._ Isamu swirled his body around and stabbed the clone, only to blink when lightning was released from the clone. Sparks flew and the lightning crashed down to the ground.

_That should break…_

The armor broke and rocks crashed down to the ground, revealing the Isamu that his clone attempted to attack was also a clone. _Where the hell is this son of a bitch?_ His nose twitched as another kunai was sent flying his way. Pulling out his tanto, the brown-haired man swung it and watched as the kunai smacked into another tree.

A cold blade touched his neck and Hibiki twisted his head around to meet cold blue eyes. "Told you that the people who talk the most, are also the weakest people!"

The ANBU guard curled his lips into a smirk and chuckled. _Those words always hold some truth but if you have the talent then why don't you boast it? _That had always been his motto. Asuma never liked it while his wife always got annoyed whenever he made that comment. Konohamaru took it to heart even more so when he started to have that small crush on Naruto.

"Are you sure of that, _little baby?_" He mocked. Isamu growled and stabbed him, only to groan when it was revealed that he hadn't stabbed the actual Hibiki but another shadow clone. _Kid is smart but I have more experience._ The brown-haired man rubbed his chin from his position behind the tree and eyed his opponent, who looked up, down, right and left for any signs of him.

_There is a lot of trees around here but if I use that jutsu then it will be burnt to a crisp._ Hibiki grimaced and pulled out a couple of senbon and wires. He had to do it. This man used poison in his attacks and even though he was immune to a lot of poison, the same couldn't be said for the children. Naruto would be fine but Bakugou and those children with those Kekkei Genkei didn't have a furry monster to excrete it out for them.

Exhaling, Hibiki placed his hands together and summoned several more clones. _Boom._ The sound pierced through the air and Isamu quickly charged at him. The brown-haired man grabbed hold of the man's arm, ready to smash him down to the ground but only to be greeted by a rock. _Substitution jutsu._ Motherfucker was going to be a pain in the neck to find.

"So who the hell are you working for?" Hibiki asked as his brown eyes darted through the woods. His voice roared through the forest and the ANBU guard flickered his eyes to the tree. If he was lucky then his clones would have spotted the man by now. _I can sense his chakra nearby but I can't pinpoint him because he made several shadow clones too._ There were a couple to his right and left.

A laugh echoed throughout the air. "I work for myself."

"Oh? So you aren't one of their lackey then?" Hibiki questioned. The man paused when he saw a wire poking out from the tree and he flickered his eyes up to the tree. _Oh? So we have to go with __**that **__plan huh?_ Hopefully, there was a good water source nearby. There had to be a good water source or else he would never hear the end of it from Jiraiya and Tsunade again.

He could also practically hear Kakashi and Asuma teasing him again for this stunt.

A growl erupted from his right and Hibiki slashed his tanto, only to grimace at the sight of rocks crumbling down again. _Another rock clone._ He hated and loved clones! They made things interesting in battle but they were always so damn annoying to destroy. He just wanted to get this over and done with—

The ground rumbled again and Hibiki jumped up in the air as four _huge_ spikes headed his way. _I'm damn lucky that it was loud or I would have been like one of those delicious shish kebabs._ The tree, on the other hand, did have that fate. The spikes pierced through all four directions and that made finding his target even more difficult.

It did not help that he could feel the world around him beginning to spin slightly.

"I thought I had you!" Isamu grunted. Hibiki could hear a distinct snap of a finger and without a second thought, he pulled out a kunai and flung it in the air. A yelp of pain erupted from right ahead of him, telling him that his opponent was straight ahead and nearby. Good. Now that he had a general direction, the fight would be less annoying. "And I'm only working for Shigaraki because the bastard had something I want."

"Kill Naruto and Bakugou right?" He commented as he lowered his chakra signature. A quick glance at his clones told him that the plan was nearly ready. _Bastard probably hadn't realized what my clones have been up to._ Memories of a couple of clones being slashed flashed through his mind alongside the mocking smile of his opponent.

His opponent grunted. "The little punk changed his mind about Bakugou after the stunt he pulled in the Sports Festival while that Kabuto gave him information that made Shigaraki obsessed with getting the girl. Now I can't kill either of them unless I make it seem like an _accident_."

_So Orochimaru has no desire for Minato's daughter and half-nephew._ Hibiki grimaced and held his hand out as his shadow clone tossed the wire towards him. He yanked on the wire and curled his lips into a smirk when he heard the squeak of surprise. This opponent probably never realized that his clones had been throwing senbon looped with wires at him and the clones, pinning him rights to the tree.

"When did you—"

"From the moment that you followed me into this forest," Hibiki replied. A smile played on his lip as he followed the wire to the tree a couple of meters ahead of him. It had been a good idea of him to use those shadow clones and have them formed a trap. While it was true that being loud and talkative was terrible, it was also a horrible idea to underestimate your opponent. "Before I kill you, I do have one question to ask you."

Hibiki allowed a dramatic pause as his brown eyes locked onto the man who was bound to the tree right in front of him. Blue eyes radiated with rage and tried to squirm out of the wires binding him to the tree. Impossible. The wire that he employed weren't those weak-ass wires that he saw some of the genin and chunin used but steel wires that only someone like Gai could break through.

"Who does Orochimaru want this time?"

The man stopped struggling and stared at him. "I guess there is no harm for me to tell you when that poison will paralyze you in the next three minutes. You can't save the boy if you can't move, can you?"

Hibiki felt a twinkle of worry creeping up in his stomach as he felt the movement in his right leg beginning to fade. Damn it. He could practically feel his senses flying away at those words. This whole time he thought that the little punk was simply going to murder him with the poison but this was much worse.

"Who the hell does Orochimaru want?"

Isamu smirked.

"The boy who can copy Kekkei Genkei."

_I should have known that was his target._ Hibiki growled and placed the wires in his mouth as the male laughed at him. If Orochimaru took over the Uchiha's body then he could copy all of the jutsu that didn't have any Kekkei Genkei. His father mentioned that the man was obsessed with having all of the jutsu in the world and having a Kekkei Genkei that could copy other Kekkei Genkei would make his dream come true.

Taking a deep breath, Hibiki placed his hands together and weaved through the hand seals. _Snake. Dragon. Rabbit. Tiger._ Flames erupted from his mouth and flew through the wires before enveloping Isamu. Brown eyes watched blankly as the man howled and screamed out in pain as the flames burned through his skin.

_I need to get one of those heroes to be back-up for Naruto and I need to warn them about their targets._

He grimaced and weaved his hand for the final shadow clone jutsu before allowing his body to crash down to the ground.

_I just hope I'm doing the right thing by having one of those heroes help Naruto._

Once this was over, he would need to request for a squad because Hibiki doubt that this would be the last missing nin that would help this organization of villains.

* * *

**Author Note: So Todoroki and Bakugou are going to chase after Naruto while Hibiki plans to have one of the heroes act as back-up for Naruto. Here are a couple of questions:**

**Question 1: **Which one of the heroes do you think will go as back-up for Naruto?

**Question 2**: Did anyone think that Orochimaru want Monoma?

**Question 3:** What do you think of the whole conversation between Shouto and Naruto's shadow clone?

**Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and what you think of the overall rewrite.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters.**

**Author Note:** I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

"_Who the hell is Orochimaru after?"_

Naruto kept her tone calm and cold as her eyes slanted at the smirking man right in front of her. Bastard probably thought he knew what could rile her up but she was going to prove him wrong. He didn't know a damn thing about her. The girl from three years ago was no longer there, only a ghost in a memory. Nothing he could say or do could rile her up.

Three years ago, he could rile her up with Sasuke but she knew better now. Even if he smirked at her or made any claims about her first friend, she was not going to fall for his trick. The whiskered teen exhaled and slid her hands together as those black eyes continued to gaze at her with that sardonic glint in his eyes.

"You haven't gotten any brighter, have you Naruto-chan?" Kabuto commented. He pushed his glasses up while the whiskered teen curled her hands into a fist. She could see the man almost frowning at her lack of reaction and the blonde knew that the man was going to push her buttons until she threw the first punch. "Then again, you are the Deadlast."

His tone leaked with mocking intent and his black eyes glinted with triumphant as if he knew that would be the thing to set her off. He probably thought of her as the same girl who always got irritated whenever someone judged her to be stupid. Naruto clenched her jaws together. That was a huge mistake because it would take more than insulting her brains to make her attack him.

"Between the members of your team, you were always the one out of the loop," Kabuto said with a sad smile. The whiskered teen bit her tongue as those black eyes continued to gleam with sadistic joy. _I won't give him the satisfaction of me throwing the first punch._ The man continued on. "It must have burned you to know that you were wrong about Sasuke. Didn't you say we won't ever get our hands on him?"

Naruto bristled at the comment and clenched her hands into a fist. Just one punch. One more word from his mouth and she was going to send him flying to the next century. _I wasn't wrong about Sasuke! You did something to him!_ The words were ready to be whipped out at the traitor but an image of concerned mismatch eyes flashed before her.

_It will also hurt me if I lose you too._

It was a ghost in her ear but it made her relaxed her grip. _I can't charge in recklessly._ She could picture Shouto telling her those words, almost pleading for her to do the reasonable thing. The illogical thing to do was attack him. If that fist of her landed against Kabuto then there was no telling of whether or not she would win a fight against him.

"You are right I was foolish to think Sasuke would turn down Orochimaru," Naruto commented. Kabuto blinked and the whiskered teen rubbed her shoulders as various eyes flashed through her mind. "I failed to stop him from going to Orochimaru but it wasn't because Sasuke and Sakura kept me out of the loop or because _I played the idiot_."

Black eyes widened as the whiskered teen flickered her eyes around the forest. _Where the hell is Hibiki-ojisan?_ If she actually engaged in a fight with Kabuto without back-up then things were risky for her. Kabuto was a medic-nin. Bastard had no problem with going against the medic code and making his hand like a blade.

One wrong movement and she could kiss her heart goodbye.

Kabuto inspected her carefully, lips curled into a frown like he was trying to figure out the change and Naruto steadied herself. This would be a good time to do a surprise attack or run but information needed to be gathered. _I have to know who Orochimaru is after._ Engaging in combat would give her a chance to know who could be—

"_You grilled me, Midoriya and Iida over what we did and now you are doing the same reckless thing we did!"_

She clenched her jaws together as furious mismatch eyes played in her mind. _Can I remember things from a Shadow Clone?_ She held back a snort and forced herself to relax her hand. It had to be the case. That could be the only explanation for why heated, concerned eyes flashed before her. The only explanation for why _his_ irritated and terrified voice played against her ear.

The funny thing was that her boyfriend was right, because if she decided to throw the first punch then she was no better than the three of them. No, the fact Kabuto stood right before her with that smirk proved she was very much a hypocrite for screaming at the three boys during their internship.

"Played the idiot? Do you think you are as smart as your teammates?" Kabuto laughed and Naruto schooled her expression into a blank one. _I know my worth and I know that I'm just as smart as those two!_ That question and that mocking laugh should never make her forget what was at stake. "You are nothing compared to them. Do you believe because you got good grades now that you are smarter? That you know everything? Sasuke was always going to—"

"—Yeah, he was always going to leave Konoha for Itachi," Naruto replied. Black eyes widened and the blonde curled her lips into a smirk as her hands crept up to a handseal. If they were going to play games then she would make him realize that _she knew Sasuke better_ than him and Orochimaru. "But you know, you and Orochimaru are the fools."

Her lips twitched when Kabuto narrowed his eyes at her. _He thought I was going to attack because he insulted me._ The old Naruto would have been riled up but mind games were something that she had an idea now. It was going to be a game of poker for her. A game where she had to bluff her way until some form of back-up came.

At least until Kabuto threw the first punch at the very least.

"You know it isn't nice to bluff, Naruto-chan," Kabuto commented with a fake smile plastered on his face. His tone sounded pleasant like they were having a pleasant conversation while those black eyes narrowed at her. The blonde could see that the male kept clenching and unclenching his fist. "We weren't the ones convinced that their best friend wouldn't abandon them for power."

Naruto smiled slightly.

"But you are the fools for thinking that Sasuke will be very much _willing_ to give Orochimaru his body," the blonde observed. Kabuto narrowed his eyes at her and his hand reached down to his kunai pouch while the blonde smirked at him. _Think of what Sasuke told me that day._ There were clues that day that told her everything. "Do you truly believe that once Sasuke surpassed Orochimaru that he would stay and give his body up?"

_If he didn't kill Itachi by the time that he surpassed Orochimaru, Sasuke will leave again._ Naruto kept her expression blank and tilted her head as Kabuto kept deathly silent at her words. No doubt shone through those black eyes but the clenched jaws in Kabuto told her that he had the same feeling like her. Anyone who spent time with her first friend knew that it was impossible.

"If he hasn't killed Itachi by that time then he would make sure Orochimaru will never get his body until he accomplished his goal," she continued on. Fury radiated at those black eyes and the whiskered teen knew that she was reaching a state where she was poking a stick at a tiger but maybe a hot-headed Kabuto would be easier to fight then a sadistic Kabuto. "Of course what would I know? I'm the _idiot_ here and not you two."

The wind swished and the whiskered teen held her hand up, catching the kunai with her fingers before jumping back as a hand flew straight towards her. A few strands of her hair fell down and Naruto regarded the hate-filled eyes of Kabuto. _How does it feel to have someone else mocking you?_ It must burned him to know she was not falling for his trap this time around.

"Did I touch a sensitive topic?" She smiled widely. "It must burn you to know that I know Sasuke better than you. I mean if he is willing to abandon his friends for his goals then he would be more than willing to get rid of Orochimaru."

Kabuto pushed up his glasses and inspected her carefully before schooling his expression into a blank one. _It seems like riling him up even more will be difficult._ She grimaced while those black eyes flickered to the tree before looking back at her. No emotion was displayed in his eyes but the cruel smile playing on his lips made her stomach drop with dread.

Did he know another weak spot?

"Do you believe riling me up will help you, Naruto-chan?" Kabuto asked with a little laugh. Naruto took a step back as black eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "Do you think that riling me up will give you a chance? You think someone is going to help you? Your teammate didn't care about you so what makes you think _they_ will?"

_You promised me that you will bring him back! _Furious and hurt green eyes flashed before her and the whiskered teen clenched her jaws together. This was another trick. Another way for him to get back control but it was not going to work. People cared about her. Jiraiya gave a shit about her and the same went for Aizawa.

No one ever made her feel like her only worth was doing all the work for them.

"Or maybe you think your _little_ boyfriend will help you," Kabuto continued on. Blue eyes widened as the man smiled at her with triumph as if the mention of Shouto was going to be the thing that would undo her. It would not. Nothing he could say could make her lose the control that she managed to keep. "I wonder how your boyfriend will react if he knew he was only a replacement for Sasuke-kun."

Naruto felt her blood boiled at what the man planned to do. _Bastard._ How dare he implied she was using Shouto? How dare he make it seem the feelings she had for her boyfriend was some kind of projection on her first friend. No one made her feel things like her boyfriend. No one made her feel like her own opinions mattered like her boyfriend.

"Play with my boyfriend's mind and I will _fucking kill_ you," she growled. Her blue eyes darkened and the whiskered teen channeled the chakra to her legs before smashing her fist against Kabuto. The male flew several feet away with his black eyes wide-eyed at her action. The blonde clenched her jaws together. "You can insult me all you want but play with my boyfriend or even lay a single hand on him and I will send you to Orochimaru in a body bag."

Kabuto smirked as his hands began to glow.

"I wonder what Sasuke will think if he knew what you just said."

Sasuke could kiss her ass because this became _personal_ when Kabuto threatened to bring her boyfriend into this mess.

* * *

_So this is the man that the Wild,Wild Pussycat who ordered them to bring the kids here. The man that Uzumaki calls Hibiki-ojisan._

Aizawa pressed his lips into a thin line and tightened his grip as his black eyes locked onto the man standing in the room. The Monkey mask brought out so many questions from why had he been following them to what was the relationship between him and his student. In the corner of his eyes, he could see some of the students shuffling backwards while a couple of the students eyed the masked man with weariness.

"I need one of you heroes to be Naruto's backup!" The man barked, swirling his head at them. Aizawa blinked and curled his lips into a frown before tightening his grip on the binding cloth. "Naruto decided to be impulsive again and charged after an opponent that she is in no shape or form to challenge again. The original Hibiki can't go because that _bastard _used a paralysis agent on him and if I go then I will be popped out of existence!"

Black eyes widened as a realization dawned upon him. _He is a clone._ If that was a clone then the man must be another one of those chakra users and it would confirm everything Uzumaki had told him. A frown played on his lips as the clone continued to swirl his head around them, his eyes probably frantic over the stunt that the whiskered teen pulled.

"You can do everything that Uzumaki can do, can't you?" Aizawa questioned. The clone jerked his head up and stared at him while the other students eyes widened at this piece of information. From behind him, the hero could practically hear the whispers being exchanged between the students as they tried to figure out the whole connection between the blonde and the man in front of them.

"Yes but Naruto was born with a lot more chakra than me," the man snorted and pinched his nose as if growing irritated at the questions being sent. The black-haired man only regarded the masked man as he filed the information away for another day. "She can probably make a 100 shadow clones without getting exhausted or getting worried about dying from chakra exhaustion while fifty shadow clones might just kill me."

Aizawa thinned his lips and inspected Hibiki carefully. Despite the fact that there was a mask covering his whole appearance, it was clear to see from the way the man kept shifting his weight that he wanted them to go. _He did say Uzumaki is charging after an opponent that she isn't ready to face._ The Underground Hero grimaced. It did not surprise him that the whiskered teen did it but it troubled him that this man knew who Naruto might be fighting.

It implied Uzumaki fought this opponent before and failed.

_The more and more I learn things about Uzumaki, the more things don't add up._ He grimaced and flickered his eyes at the cowering students before darting his eyes to Vlad-King and the Wild, Wild Pussycats. Most of the students were here with the exception of Midoriya, Bakugou and Todoroki. Knowing those three, they were either charging to help Uzumaki or trying to rescue someone.

If the opponent was dangerous like the man claimed then he had to step in to protect his student. _We have most of the heroes here guarding the children._ It would be safer for everyone if they were here to guard the children while he went and helped his most reckless and impulsive student. Aizawa exhaled and bobbed his head before flipping the scarf around his neck.

"Can someone please hurry up and make a decision?" Hibiki snarled as he twisted his head around to look at the clock. "You guys must be troubled over the things that Naruto kept from you but the opponent that she plans to fight is the same man who murdered my best subordinate three years ago like it was nothing!"

Black eyes widened and Aizawa clenched his jaws together. He didn't know this man but subordinate implied he was a soldier and the man could only imagine how dangerous this other soldier could be. With his hands clenched into a fist, he could feel his heart pounding with worry while his palms sweated with the knowledge of what the girl had impulsively decided to do.

"Where is Uzumaki?" He demanded. "And why didn't you stop her from charging after that man?"

Hibiki relaxed his shoulders and locked his gaze at him. "Have you met Naruto? The girl is as stubborn as her mother and once she has an idea inside of her head, it is difficult for you to convince her not to do something. She also sent her clone after me which makes it difficult for me to restrain her since there was another person after the children!"

He exhaled and pinched his nose while the students gawked at them. _He is right about Uzumaki._ A sigh escaped his lips and Aizawa flickered around to the students of his class. Their eyes were filled with concern and fear as they locked their gazes on the man. He could understand why. Only a couple of months ago, the whiskered teen came out of the hospital from fighting a strong opponent.

"Is there anything else that I need to know before I head off?" Aizawa questioned.

Hibiki grimaced and pulled something out of his pocket. Aizawa knitted his eyebrows together as the male walked up towards him, handing him what looked like to be a piece of paper. _Seal._ That was the only word written in the thin piece of paper. He frowned and inspected the piece of paper before staring at the grim-faced man.

"Jiraiya made an experimental seal in case something like this might happen," Hibiki informed him. The whole room became deathly silent like all the life inside of them had been drained out of them. The male exhaled. "When Naruto gets very upset or very furious, we need you to put this on her. If Naruto loses control then we don't have anyone to stop her."

Aizawa frowned. "You make her seem like an animal."

"Naruto is very much human," Hibiki protested. He exhaled and stared down at the seal before looking back at his black eyes. "But there is something _special_ about her chakra. Whenever she gets _furious_, upset or feels so much hate then her chakra changes into something vile. She will look less human and more like a—"

"—Fox," Aizawa commented. The man paled at the comment and the black-haired man grimaced as everyone darted their eyes at each other. He knew exactly what the man was talking about because it happened before during USJ. It was something he forgot about and something he never once questioned since it never happened again.

But now that the man mentioned it, he could distinctly recall how those blue eyes turned red and how those whisker marks darkened.

"If a tail forms then it makes reasoning with Naruto harder," Hibiki continued on. Aizawa nodded and inspected the piece of paper carefully before looking back at the man wearing the monkey mask. "It is rare for it to happen but Kabuto is a little rat and if he reminds her of the fact that she couldn't save her teammate then there is a high chance that it could be felt again."

_Teammate?_ Aizawa thinned his lips and bobbed his head before shoving the paper into his pocket. Teammate implied his student hadn't been a normal student like her files suggested but something even more serious than that. _Hagakure said something about them mentioning shinobi. _His chest seemed to have tightened even more as one final question came to his mind as he came to one final conclusion about his student.

"Uzumaki is a kunoichi, isn't she?"

Several eyes widened and a couple of the students spluttered like they couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Aizawa only focused on the man standing right in front of them. The man swallowed and clenched his hands into a fist. Aizawa did not push him to answer, only waiting for him to confirm his final suspicion before he left to rescue Naruto.

"Yes," Hibiki finally answered. "Naruto is a kunoichi just like I'm a shinobi."

One of the students took a step forward. "But how? Naruto is only 15! How old would she have to be to become a—"

"She was only 12." Everyone became silent as the man removed his mask to lock eyes with them. Aizawa blinked and was startled to find that the man looked like he was only a few years older than him. Hibiki offered them a little weary smile and locked eyes on the silent students. "That is the typical age for someone to graduate from the Academy. The leader of her genin team? He was 5 when he graduated."

The knowledge that there was a place that were willing to make children as young as five to become soldiers of war made his stomach curled up with disgust.

"Hibiki-san once the whole thing is over, we will need to bring the three of you in for questioning."

He would also need Naruto to tell him the whole story of what brought her here because Aizawa could only imagine the hell that Naruto went through as a kunoichi.

* * *

"_Mind telling me who the fucking hell is Sasuke?"_

Shouto clenched his jaws together as Bakugou narrowed his furious red eyes at him. The two of them had been running in the direction that Naruto's shadow clone had directed them to go and only now did the older boy decided to question him over the whole conversation between him and his girlfriend. A conversation that he only wished he gave to the original Naruto.

In the distance, he could hear the sound of explosives going off and it was not long before smoke began to fill his lungs. Someone was probably burning the forest down or maybe Naruto was using one of her jutsu again. Either of them could be a possibility but for the sake of his sanity, he prayed to Kami that it was the latter and not the former.

"Are you going to fucking answer me or not, IcyHot?" Bakugou demanded. His hand reached out to the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him back. Shouto stumbled and twisted his head around to glare at the rage-filled eyes that belonged to his classmate. Shouto clicked his tongue and darted his eyes to the tree ahead before looking back at Bakugou.

Did the boy know that every second they wasted standing here, the more likely Naruto was going to be in trouble? She was by herself without any back-up and while Shouto knew the girl was an amazing fighter and capable of taking care of herself, his heart still raced with worry over what could be potentially happening to her.

"Naruto will kill me if I tell you about him."

Bakugou flushed a furious shade of red and clenched his jaws together. Shouto could see the beginning of sparks forming around the palm of his classmate's hand. The older boy did not find his reason to be acceptable and maybe his classmate thought he was whipped for not going against Naruto's wishes but Shouto knew it was logical not to tell the boy about Sasuke.

If he wanted to burn Naruto's apartment down after hearing what that _cruel_ boy did to her then Shouto could imagine the explosives being launched out of Bakugou's hand at the knowledge of what his cousin went through. The whole area would explode with his screams and Quirk which would make it easier for the Villains to track them down.

They couldn't let that happen.

"I have a fucking right to know who the hell is this guy," Bakugou growled. His hand reached out to his shirt and the older boy lifted him up slightly like he wanted to toss him over the forest. Red eyes glowed with rage. "From what I heard between the two of you, this guy fucking ruined my little cousin! The only fucking reason I didn't say shit because the air around you two became so fucking lovey-dovey!"

Shouto kept his expression completely blank even though his whole face threatened to burn at the comment coming out of his classmate. Lovey-dovey? That was definitely not how he would describe what happened between them. Throughout the whole conversation between them, there had been only one thought going through his head:

He could lose her again like they nearly did in USJ.

"If I was trying to be _lovey-dovey_ then I wouldn't do it in front of you," he retorted, making air-quotes on the _lovey-dovey_ part of the sentence. Bakugou rolled his eyes, not looking one bit convinced by his words before putting him down. Shouto rolled his eyes and looked up at the moon-lit sky. "And even if Naruto was okay with me talking about it, I won't talk about that _shitty_ asshole."

There was a stunned silence as Bakugou stared at him with widened eyes. Shouto clicked his tongue again and turned his whole body around, facing again the direction that Naruto's clone had directed them to go and help the original Naruto. He dug his fingers against the palm of his hand and took in several deep breaths to calm down his raging heart.

"What the fucking hell did that asshole do to her?" Bakugou asked. Shouto could practically feel those red eyes staring daggers at him and the mismatch-boy lifted his leg up, only to be pulled back by the blond-haired boy. Red eyes radiated with a rage that could probably put Endeavour's anger to shame. "IcyHot, you can't just call someone a _shitty_ asshole and just run away! If you of all people would call someone that then I want to know what he did!"

He felt the vein on his forehead throbbed at those words. Shouto knew what the boy implied with those words. The older boy thought he was some kind of boy who never got furious or showed his fury but that was so wrong. Bottling up his emotions had been a necessary for survival. The shitty old man would get handsy if he ever showed the full extent of his anger.

"Do you believe because I don't scream and shout like you do that I don't get irritated?" He felt his heart raced against his chest and felt the heat of his left side increasing even more as sad blue eyes flashed before him. "I get fucking furious too! You think I wouldn't like to scream my fury like you do but that isn't going to help Naruto right now!"

Bakugou dropped his hand and kept silent as Shouto struggled to regain control of his emotions again. He could feel his heart raging against his chest, threatening to come out from its cage. The blond-haired boy only regarded him with blank eyes like he didn't know what to think of what he had just admitted to him. Shouto didn't know what to think of it either.

Not once since the time that they became acquainted with each other, did he raise his voice at Bakugou.

"Why do you think I'm demanding for answers, IcyHot?" The question was soft and barely loud but red eyes hardened like a pair of ruby jewels that seemed ready to pierce at him. "You are always in control of your emotions and never call anyone that you barely know that kind of title. The fact you are furious and showing this much anger means that he did something to her. Tell me what did he do to her!"

Shouto could feel his blood boiling up with anger as he recalled everything Naruto told him. Flames and ice threatened to erupt from his body but the echoes of heavy footsteps alongside a couple of faint voices brought him back to reality. There was no way those footsteps and voices could belong to their classmates. Not a single one of them were supposed to be this far in the woods.

The mismatch boy took a deep breath and pulled Bakugou down to one of the bushes as the leaves crunched and crumbled. He could hear his heart racing against his ears and the adrenaline coursing through his veins as the voices got louder. A quick glance at Bakugou told him that the boy also probably realized that they shouldn't discuss the topic.

"Are we going to try again with the lodge? _I wanna go to the lodge!"_ The voice was definitely a man and judging from his words, he was probably a villain. Shouto exhaled and moved the leaves slightly as his eyes fixated on the gray boots standing right in front of him. Right beside those gray boots were a pair of dark dress shoes. "Those heroes stopped us from capturing the target that Orochimaru guy wanted."

_Orochimaru._ The name brought a shiver down his spine and all he could picture was a snake-like man from the classic book that Fuyumi loved to read. Anyone with that kind of name did not sound friendly or even remotely kind. It was the kind of name only a twisted parent could give a child because it was the name of that character who mastered in serpent magic.

"The alliance rest on us capturing the boy," another voice called out. Shouto felt a shiver running down his spine as a pair of warm turquoise eyes flashed before his own eyes. _To-niisan._ The voice sounded similar to his older brother but it couldn't be him, could it? Shouto lifted his body up slightly, only for Bakugou to pull him down. "Kabuto already agreed to help us capture Uzumaki for Shigaraki if we capture Monoma. But there are too many heroes guarding him."

His heart stopped at that moment as he came to a sinking realization of what Naruto had unintentionally done to herself. _She walked right into a trap._ He clenched his jaws together and held his breath while Bakugou grinded his teeth together, hands glowing a faint shade of yellow. Shouto smacked the boy's hand and pulled him back.

As tempting as it was to beat them up, they had to get to Naruto first.

"So we should leave it to the others? That's kinda boring!_ But it is fun to do the whole search for our other target_!" The other voice declared. The casual cheer coming out from the man made Shouto's throat dried up and he exchanged glances with Bakugou before staying still in his spot. "What was his name again? Oh! Bakugou Katsuki!"

Shouto felt his heart dropped at that comment as another realization dawned on him.

_We are screwed._

* * *

**Author Note: So Kabuto found a new weak spot when it comes to Naruto while Aizawa began to understand that Naruto is very much a child soldier. Bakugou has a feeling that Sasuke hurt Naruto while Todoroki has a feeling that one of the villains is his missing brother. Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter. **


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the original characters.

**Author Note**: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

* * *

_I need to think of a plan._

Naruto rubbed her bleeding cheeks and stared at the panting Kabuto. It was a struggle for her to dodge those chakra scalpel as could be seen from the sliced up trees that stood behind her. _If I don't dodge his attacks then I might just lose the use of my arms._ If he aimed for one of her muscles then punching the ground was going to be impossible for her.

The wind rustled and the whiskered teen jumped away as a pair of glowing hands tried to slice through her like a piece of paper. A few strands of blond hair fell down to the ground. Annoyance leaked out of Kabuto's eyes and the whiskered teen caught the fist. The rocks crunched and moved to the side as her hands pushed the fist back.

"Unfortunately for me, I will get into huge trouble if I kill you," Kabuto commented. Black eyes gleamed with irritation as his hand weaved through several hand seals. Opening his mouth, water sprouted out from his mouth. The water flew straight towards her like it was shot from a gun and the whiskered teen weaved her hand through several hand seals.

_I will be in huge trouble if I get caught by that jutsu._ A cloud of smoke formed as Naruto replaced herself with a nearby log. The best benefit of fighting in a forest was the abundant of logs that she could use for substitution. _But I can't just rely on only that jutsu._ Black eyes gleamed with slight surprise as the whiskered teen dashed straight towards him.

She reached her hand out, curling it into a fist and kept her expression blank as Kabuto raised his hand to catch her fist. _Do you really think I'm going to be that predictable?_ Pulling her fist back, the whiskered teen twisted her leg around and smacked it straight at the male's face. A bubble of satisfaction washed over her when the male stumbled.

If he hadn't jumped slightly back then Naruto knew that he would have been sent flying through the air.

"Huge trouble?" Naruto blinked and ducked when glowing hands tried to slice her like butter again. A sudden stinging sensation washed over her from her left arm. _I think he might have increased the sharpness of his stupid jutsu._ Her arm screamed in pain. It demanded for her to retreat but she knew Kabuto would go for his target if she ran away. "Really now? You had no problem trying to kill me, three years ago."

"You sound bitter, Naruto-_chan_."

_You wish._ Alarm shot through her spine when Kabuto smirked and used only one hand seal. _Monkey._ At first bullet-like rocks shot out of Kabuto's mouth. The bullet-like rocks expanded, growing to the size of the boulder and the whiskered teen dodged. She weaved her hands through a familiar hand seal and in a matter of seconds, a 100 shadow clones stood in clearing.

"Why the fucking hell would I be bitter?" Kabuto narrowed his eyes as the whiskered teen weaved her hand through various hand seals. She sliced through the air and blades of wind came flying towards the male. Blue eyes turned completely cold as the male quickly disappeared from her sight. She quirked her lips into a thin smile as her senses tingled. "Because for me to be bitter, will mean I don't see you as a _snake_!"

_Smash._

The ground fractured and jumped up to form boulder-size rocks. Naruto quirked her lips into a thin smile as black eyes gleamed with intense curiosity at her actions. _You didn't think I will grow in strength, did you?_ She flickered her eyes to the clones before looking back at Kabuto. The male pushed himself up, legs wobbling slightly and the blonde raised a eyebrow when Kabuto laughed.

"I will admit that you have gotten stronger, Naruto," Kabuto commented. He dusted off the dirt from his clothes and his black eyes gleamed with a sadistic joy that brought chills down to her spine. "But no matter how strong you are, you will never be as good as Sasuke."

Naruto clenched her jaws together and felt a wave of irritation washing over her. _I'm going to show you that I'm better than that bastard!_ Fingers curled into a fist as black eyes gleamed with triumph. She stretched her legs out, ready to sprint to punch the man for the comment but then a memory washed over her.

"_You are just as smart and capable as my son."_

"_I want you to write a list of things that you love about yourself."_

She relaxed her fist and allowed herself to laugh out loud like a maniac, which made the grey-haired man blinked and frowned as his eyes gleamed with uncertainty. Who the hell was she trying to prove? _I have something that makes me better than Sasuke._ Another exhale as Kabuto eyed her with suspicion.

Taking another deep breath, the blonde placed her hands together into a familiar hand seal and locked eyes with Kabuto. Blood pounded against her ears as adrenaline flooded her system. There was never a point for her to compare herself with the bastard. They were two different people and anger was going to make her act recklessly. The anger faded as more faces came to her mind.

"You are right," Naruto declared, channeling her chakra into the seal. Kabuto jerked his head and narrowed his eyes as the whiskered teen clicked her tongue. Smoke erupted from around her and another 50 clones appeared. The smile on her face widened. "Maybe I'm not the better shinobi but strength doesn't just come from tactics and pure physical strength. I'm mentally stronger then Sasuke because I'm not _impatient _for results!"

With that final word, the blonde charged straight at Kabuto. Wind enclosed her hand, almost acting like a pair of knuckle rings. Kabuto jumped back. Wind slashed through the man's cheeks. His hand reached out to her, ready to smash her to the ground and the whiskered teen switched herself eyes gleamed with surprise as the clone crashed to the ground.

_I'll make him see that he should never ever compare me and Sasuke._

"Mentally strong? You?" Kabuto chuckled as his hand smashed down the ground. The ground roared with life, rolling up and down like a wave, and the whiskered teen channeled the chakra to her legs. She glued herself to the floor while her clones jumped up. Kabuto sliced through the clones and looked at her with mocking eyes. "Didn't you break down? Didn't you close yourself off because of Sasuke?"

She leaned back, hand touching the ground as Kabuto spat out a whole dark cloud at her. _Knowing the bastard, it might be poison._ Her lungs screamed for air but Naruto wasn't going to allow herself to breath the poison. _Slice._ Agony erupted from her stomach and the whiskered teen did not need to look up to know her stomach was bleeding.

Kicking her leg up in the air, Naruto touched the ground and stared at the smirking Kabuto. _He is trying to make me falter! He is trying to make me stop having faith in myself._ Bastard wanted her to waver and to prove to him that his belief about her were true. That she was nothing compared to the boy who abandoned their team. Blue eyes hardened.

"Yeah I broke down," Naruto acknowledged as she ripped the lower half till it only showed her waist before quickly making a makeshift bandage for herself. Bullets made from water flung towards her. She weaved her hand together through a couple of seals and a wall erupted from the ground. Water stained the wall and the blonde jumped up to stare at Kabuto. "I closed myself off from people but Sasuke wasn't the main reason."

The words hung in the air as the blonde locked eyes with the panting man. She could use this as an opportunity to kill him but killing wasn't in her nature. Killing someone again would go against the values that she wanted for herself. Killing him would be great but letting him live with the knowledge that she wasn't the same snot-nose brat seemed even better.

It would also send a clear message to Sasuke of how _stupid_ he was being.

"I won't let people determine my _self-worth_ ever again because _I am not someone's measuring stick or punching bag!_"

She was going to give him a fate even worse than death for trying to ruin one of the best friendships and relationships that she ever had in her life.

* * *

"_Kouta-kun, you are safe!"_

Izuku relaxed his shoulders and allowed himself to smile slightly when Mandalay squeezed the young boy. It had been a struggle to fight Muscular but it was worth it to see the young boy being comforted by his distant relative. The other benefit was the fact that he now knew who the villains and the shinobi were after.

There were three targets: Uzumaki, Kacchan and Momoma. Three people they wanted to kidnap but only Monoma was wanted by the shinobi. _I think only Uzumaki knows why they want Monoma._ He flickered his eyes, searching eagerly for the girl who could explain things and felt a tickle of worry at the lack of familiar shades of blond in the room.

"Where is Kacchan? And Uzumaki?" Izuku asked quietly. No one answered, only exchanging worried glances with each other and the worry inside of him intensified at the lack of answer. _Maybe Uzumaki is still fighting the shinobi._ Dark eyebrows knitted together and the male flickered his eyes around the room.

The other students kept glancing at each other, frowns playing on their lips as they exchanged whispers. He could hear them talking about the strange knowledge that _shinobi_ still existed. That Naruto had been one for the last three years. Shaking his head, he blinked at the sight of Hibiki standing in the corner of the room.

"I don't know where Bakugou might be but Naruto might still be fighting _that little traitor_," Hibiki replied. Anger and bitterness coated the man's voice, making Izuku wonder if there was more to the story of the shinobi who Naruto chose to fight. There had to be more to the story because the man looked like he wanted to murder someone.

He exhaled and flickered his eyes to the teary-eyed Kouta before looking back at the brown-haired man. If there was more to the story then why the hell was Hibiki here? Anger flooded him and Izuku wished he could clench his hands but his right hand screamed in pain.

"If Uzumaki is still fighting then why are you still here?" He yelled. The question boomed throughout the whole room and it must have stirred something because Ochako stood up, looking ready to stop him. Tokage held the girl back, only flickering her muddy green eyes at Hibiki. "Uzumaki and Kacchan are their targets! Monoma isn't the only important one here!"

He must have spilled something that he shouldn't have told because Monoma jerked his head at those words. Pale blue eyes radiated with fear as several of the students from Class B huddled closer to the boy. Hibiki removed his mask and brown eyes regarded him with not many emotions.

"You think I would be here if I knew I can be of help? I'm only a shadow clone," Hibiki answered. The man shut his eyes and clenched his jaws together before narrowing his eyes at him. "The original Hibiki is waiting out the paralysis agent and unless any of you have a Kekkei Genkei that can heal people or know medical jutsu then there is nothing I can do. One _strong_ hit and I'm gone."

Izuku took a step back, legs wobbling slightly at those words before exchanging glances with everyone. Not a single one of them looked surprised at those words and he remembered that he hadn't been here when the man came here. Gulping down a lump, he locked eyes on the floor.

_I know he has a point._

If Hibiki clone got destroyed then Uzumaki wouldn't have any help so it was just better for Hibiki to stay here, only pretending that he was the real deal to scare off any potential shinobi. Izuku grimaced and clenched his jaws together. He could feel adrenaline surging through his veins and he could not bring himself to stop the words coming out of his mouth.

"The Villains are after Uzumaki and Kacchan," he repeated himself. "They still need help."

The clone rubbed the sides of his head, eyes squeezed tightly like he was beginning to have a migraine. Could clones have migraine? The sigh escaped from the clone, making Izuku jump up. The shinobi took a seat on one of the empty chairs close to Kirishima. The red-haired teen was deathly silent, red eyes flashing with worry.

"I already asked for Eraserhead to go after Naruto," his voice was soft and weary, echoing throughout the silent room. Brown eyes flickered to the trembling Monoma and then back to Izuku. "I know they need help especially Naru-chan. Bakugou has no personal connection to the villains or Kabuto and wouldn't be emotionally invested but Naruto… she only just begin healing from her teammate's actions."

Hibiki's voice was filled with so much worry and concern that it spurn everyone to stop hurdling around Monoma. The clone began to pace back and forth, not saying anything to elaborate what happened but Izuku could only pick up the clues. Healing implied damage and the only thing of what the girl could be healing from was…

_Mental scars_.

Bile rose up to his throat and judging from the tears leaking out of Kendou's eyes, the girl quickly pieced together of what Naruto needed to heal from. Tokage kept silent, eyes not looking one bit surprised by the unspoken implication, only pressing her lips into a thin line. Yaoyorozu had tears in her eyes as well while the girls of Class 1A huddled together.

"What happened to her?" Kouta asked softly. The child's voice was soft and choked up, tears filled the boy's eyes while everyone stared at the man that could tell them a lot about Naruto. Izuku watched as the girls walked closer to the man. Mandalay and the other heroes regarded the man with curious eyes.

Hibiki twisted his whole body around and regarded the windows. Izuku turned to look to the window, relaxing his shoulders at the lack of shadows near the lodge, before looking back at the brown-eyed man. He heard whispers coming from a couple of the students but that was normal because they were all so curious to know what was about to come out.

"Naruto had a mission to stop her best friend from abandoning the village and going off with a traitor. She wasn't the only one in the mission but she suffered the most emotional damage," he paused and looked down at his hands. "The chunin in charge picked Naruto because Sasuke had a crush on her. From his report, he believed Naruto would be able to convince Sasuke to stay in Konoha."

Izuku froze and stared at the man with wide eyes, heart pounding wildly against his chest.

"That…didn't happen, did it?"

Hibiki kept quiet and Izuku could see everyone boring their eyes at the man with eagerness. The man rubbed his knuckles and clenched his jaws together like he was trying to control the emotions that threatened to come out.

"She nearly died that day. Her best friend nearly succeeded in killing her."

Izuku could almost hear the grief leaking out of the voice and steeled himself to prepare the questions that he knew everyone wanted to ask. From behind him, he could hear some of the sobs coming out of the girls while some of the boys turned absolutely green at the words coming out of the man's mouth.

"Why would he do that?"

He felt sick to his stomach and tried to picture a 12-year-old Naruto nearly dead. It was easy to imagine when he could still remember what happened with Naruto in USJ. But a 12-year-old to try and kill each other? Who would try to hurt someone close to them like that? Was that why Naruto never wanted to be friends in the beginning?

Because her best friend tried to kill her.

"If you ever meet Sasuke then ask him that," Hibiki replied after a couple of seconds. "Because I can't figure it out."

Something told Izuku that the only person who could answer the question was Naruto.

* * *

"You had me fooled into thinking that you improved a lot but your attacks with the shadow clone lack any elegance."

Naruto clicked her tongue as her shadow clones charged straight at Kabuto. The man dripped with sweat, reminding her of the fact that they had been fighting for a good 20 minutes now. The wind howled and pushed back her clones, smashing them against the tree as Kabuto huffed. With a quick glance to the sides, the blonde quirked her lips slightly.

_Just a couple of more minutes._ Her fingers came together into her favourite hand seals and more shadow clones charged towards Kabuto. Their eyes gleamed with eagerness, arms reached out to tackle him down to the ground. A disappointed sigh came out of the man and his hand pulled one shadow clone. The older male swung the clone around, crashing them to the clone.

Naruto pressed her fingers against the dirt, quickly scribbling a character, before jumping up as her clone screamed for her to get out of the way. Clouds of smoke erupted around her. _That benefits me more._ Another couple of shadow clones erupted and her whole body shuddered when a wave of hate from her right tickled her senses.

Inhaling deeply, the blonde weaved her hand through a long series of hand seals. _I can't have him notice anything._ A tornado of wind erupted from her mouth. The rocks flew around and Kabuto smashed to the tree in front of her. The tornado of wind dug deeper against Kabuto, causing the tree behind to explode.

A grimace played on her lips when Kabuto exploded to reveal a clone.

"You have gotten a lot stronger, Naruto-chan," Kabuto commented. A sharp stabbing sensation flooded her left arm and the whiskered teen jumped back when the blades threatened to cut her hair. Another few more inches of her hair was cut. She probably would have to trim her hair slightly once they were done because she was going to look a mess at this rage. She ducked as a fist threatened to punch her. "But you need to do more to kill me."

Naruto flickered her eyes down and pushed her tongue against her cheek. _Kill._ Lifeless eyes erupted from behind her eyes and the blonde clenched her jaws together. _Ram. Bird. Snake._ Small hands slammed into the ground. Large rocks ejected out of the ground and ran straight towards Kabuto. The man smirked and stopped only 20 meters away from her.

_He knows the damn jutsu as a range._

"Who the hell says that I want to kill you?" Naruto could feel sweat dribbling down the side of her face as her eyes flickered down to the trees. No light came out and the whiskered teen clenched her jaws together. _I need more time._ The blonde exhaled and felt dread erupted erupting from her stomach.

The ground shifted and the sound of something rumbling behind her made her gulp. _It sounds like a landslide._ Not a big deal. The characters were deeply engraved around them. She channeled chakra to her legs and dashed straight up to the tree. She could feel adrenaline coursing through her veins as Kabuto looked disappointed by her response.

Memories flooded her mind and the whiskered teen cursed under her breath. _I just need a few more characters._ A cloud of smoke erupted all around her and half of her clones flung themselves at him. Kabuto skittled from the tree and the blonde watched at the mountain of clones that blanketed Kabuto.

_Maybe a few seconds but that will be enough, won't it?_

A quick glances at her clones told her that the answer would be a yes. Yells of terror pierced through the air as clouds of white smoke flooded the whole area. Some of her clones flew straight to the trees, breaking a couple of the trees in half. Trunks of trees crashed down to the ground and rocks jumped up from the impact.

"Naruto-chan," Kabuto tutted as his hand twisted another clone behind, slicing it in half. His hand reached out for another clone and flung it like a ball at her. A ball that she obviously punched. The blonde rubbed the sweat off from her face as black eye glowed with annoyance and disappointment. "You used to be better coordinated with your shadow clones. Now you are doing a terrible job with your sneak attacks."

A quick gleam of light shone on her.

_About time!_

A laugh erupted from her mouth and Kabuto jerked his head at her.

"Hey Kabuto-_kun_, how much research did you do on me?" Black eyes narrowed and the whiskered teen knelt down to drew the final character on the ground. Faint yellow glow erupted around Kabuto and the man tried to move, only to find him stuck in his spot. "You know about Shouto but did you know I have been learning fuinjutsu?"

Black eyes widened as the mud from around him formed up and hardened until a dome formed around him. Birds flew passed and the wind howled and screamed at the actions as Kabuto tried to run. Naruto only quirked her lips into a thin line as wind smacked through the dome. The dome expanded slightly before reverting back to the original shape.

"When did you learn fuinjutsu?" Kabuto commented from behind the dome. Anger leaked out of his tone alongside the obvious struggle that the man had of trying to get out of the dome. "You are always either at that dojo, training with Jiraiya or working part-time. When did you learn? I doubt Jiraiya would believe _you_ of all people were capable of learning it."

Naruto hummed and took a seat on the ground, shoulders slumped.

"Why not, Kabuto-san?" Naruto asked. A sly tone crept up in her voice and the whiskered teen exhaled as tiredness crept up on her. "Because only smart people can know a difficult art because that isn't true. You only need to put the effort and patience in and that is something I am willing to do."

Kabuto kept quiet but the whiskered teen knew that he was steaming with rage. She picked herself up from the ground, hand brushing off the mud and dirt as her legs wobbled slightly from the exhaustion of their fight. _I had luck this time._ God, if the man had an inking she had some talent in seals then he would be more weary around her.

"Your biggest mistake was thinking that Uzumaki Naruto is still the same girl who only wants people to acknowledge her talent," Naruto tapped against the dome and curled her lips into a bitter smile. "You thought playing with my mind would work against me. Sasuke is a sore topic but I learn from my mistakes. You won last time because I have an inferiority complex but I'm working through my problems."

God, she needed to run back but her eyes screamed for her to have a nap.

"Uzumaki!"

Blue eyes widened at the sight of a frantic Aizawa rushing straight towards her. Black eyes widened at the sight of the mud dome before looking back at her. The worry and fear faded from her teacher's eyes, replaced with annoyance and rage. _Huh, he doesn't need to activate his Quirk to make his hair fly up._ The man charged straight towards her.

"Before you give me the scolding of a lifetime, c-can I take a nap? Fighting Kabuto really exhausted me emotionally!"

The last thing she saw was the shaking shoulders of her teacher as she shut her eyes for what would be only a 5-minute nap.

(_It would be a couple of hours later that she would regret her actions because if she hadn't taken a nap or went after Kabuto then her cousin might still be there for her)._

* * *

**Author Note: Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter. Do tell me of what you like about the chapter and how you felt the fight between Naruto and Kabuto. What do you think will be the future consequences of Naruto's action? **


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original character.**

**Author Note**: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter. There was a minor change in the last chapter in regards to what Naruto said to Kabuto about the Uzumaki Clan because it won't suit my plans for the future chaptersand arcs.

* * *

_I should have done a better job of avoiding that paralysis agent._

The leaves rustled as Hibiki dashed through the trees. It took him a good 30 minutes to recover from the paralysis agent that Iwa bastard had poisoned him with before he finally killed him. If things had been different and he had his team with him then his whole body wouldn't be tingling from the agent used on him.

The ground looked the same with no hint of any familiar shades of blond and maybe it was just too much for him to hope that Naruto ran away. _She is her parents daughter and Kushina is her mother._ Hibiki grimaced and craned his head again, only stopping at the sight of a white scarf wrapped around Aizawa's neck. Brown eyes widened at the unconscious body hanging over his shoulder!

"Aizawa!" The black-haired man jerked his head and Hibiki jumped down to the ground. The leaves crunched while his brown eyes took in the trembling body of Naruto. Little whimpers could be heard from where he stood and in his experience of taking care of the blonde, he knew the girl was probably reliving a nightmare.

"_N-Naru-chan i-isn't a monster!"_

The cries of a six-year-old Naruto flooded his ears and Hibiki dug his finger against the palm of his hand. A stinging sensation washed over him but the pain would never make up for not stopping the girl when he had the chance. Aizawa grunted and then blinked at the sight of his mostly not paralyzed body standing over him.

"You recovered quick," Aizawa observed. Curiosity and weariness colored his tone while his black eyes fixated on the Monkey mask covering his face. Shaking his head, Hibiki removed the mask and placed it inside of the pouch before flickering his eyes to the sleeping blonde. Naruto kept punching and kicking Aizawa's back while whimpering about something about not her fault.

_She is going to be even more upset when she knows I decided to spill her past without her permission but everything is going to come out because of Kabuto._ He grimaced and rubbed his stubbled chin before locking his gaze at Aizawa. The man said nothing, only growing more and more irritated from the lack of words coming out of his mouth.

"Not quick enough," he finally grunted, brown eyes locking onto Aizawa's eyes. "What happened to her?"

Aizawa only pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. A wince erupted from the man's eye as Naruto kicked the man in the back. A grimace played on Hibiki's lips. Carrying a girl who could break things with just her fist was not easy but carrying a sleeping girl filled with unnatural strength who had a habit of moving while she slept was even worse. The little grunt of pain from Aizawa was proof of that.

"She is exhausted from her fight," Aizawa confirmed. Hibiki felt the worry inside of him evaporating at those words and he rubbed the back of his neck. The petite blond clung even tighter like she knew what they were talking about but Hibiki knew from the lack of bragging that Naruto was truly asleep. His lips twitched when drool leaked out of Naruto's lips.

His lips twitched slightly as a memory of watching a six-year-old Naruto clinging to her pillow came to his mind. _Dad, you know we have no problem taking in Naruto! It is too soon for her to be living in an apartment by herself._ Hibiki couldn't help but exhale, pushing back the memory into a door that would be unlocked later. The ground rumbled, bringing him back to reality.

"She won, didn't she?" Hibiki asked. He could feel his heart racing against his chest, waiting for his suspicion to be confirmed. His hands itched to ruffle the girl's hair, feeling all too relieved the girl was living up the potential that his father had seen in her. Black eyes narrowed at him, not looking one bit pleased that he was proud of Naruto's action.

He did not bother to give a sheepish smile, only locking eyes on the girl who had always been starved for attention. The wind tickled him, moving his brown hair to the side and his hand reached out to ruffle the girl's hair. Aizawa raised a single eyebrow and the ANBU guard drew his hand back.

"She trapped the shinobi inside of a dome," Aizawa replied. There was a slight awe in his tone and black eyes wavered with weariness as if he didn't want to remember the scene he witnessed. Hibiki bobbed his head and flickered his eyes to the direction that the black-haired man had came from. "But I don't know how long that dome will hold."

"Hopefully it will be long enough for Jiraiya to seal the man's hands," Hibiki grunted. Anger bubbled inside of him but the man swallowed down the rage that threatened to come out. He inspected the stiff man as his grip on Naruto tightened. Many questions shone through his eyes but none of them came out.

The anger evaporated when he caught sight of the sweat breaking out of Naruto's skin. The air around them became tense, so tense that it could be cut with a butcher's knife. Blond eyebrows furrowed together and another cry came out of her mouth. _My name is Naru-chan! I-I'm not a monster!_ Hibiki shut his eyes while Aizawa closed his eyes, lips twisted in pain.

Neither of them spoke, uncertain of what they could say about the words coming out of Naruto's mouth. Hibiki did not know about Aizawa but he could only feel grief for the nightmares that would never leave the blonde. The wind whistled and animals scurried away from them, hinting of a danger ahead. He exhaled and took a step forward, only for Aizawa catching his shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going?" Aizawa demanded. Steeliness coated his tone, carrying a commanding tone that almost tempted him to stop in his steps and glared at the man. Grimacing, Hibiki twisted his head around to stare at the black-haired man. "I still need you to come in to answer questions."

There was a tense silence between them. The ANBU guard exhaled and tried to stop himself from flaring his nostrils at the reminder of what happened tonight was going to get him and Jiraiya into a lot of trouble. Naruto too if he thought about it but maybe these people would go easy on the girl if people knew things weren't easy for her.

He kept telling her past in the hopes that the blow would lessen for the girl.

"Katsuki is another target and the hothead hasn't come back during the time that you were gone," Hibiki finally replied. Steel coloured his gaze and the male clenched his jaws together before forcing himself to relax his fingers. "Jiraiya assigned me the duty of making sure Katsuki doesn't get kidnapped or killed."

Aizawa didn't loosen his grip on the sleeve of his shirt, only tightening even more with irritation. He could guess the man understood the greater importance of bringing Katsuki back then hauling him in for interrogation. Exhaling, the brown-haired man shot a glance at him before putting his fingers together to form more shadow clones.

"You go back and I'll get—"

"—I need you to restrain Naruto when she wakes up," Hibiki commanded. Aizawa jerked his head back, eyebrows shooting upwards and not looking one bit happy of the command leaking out. The brown-haired man exhaled and breathed heavily as the ground rumbled once again. "She doesn't listen to authority but she seems to listen to you more than any authority figure. She trusts you the most."

Understanding flooded the black-haired man's features and the silence between them become comfortable. Hibiki waited for the inevitable words to come out from his lips. Rain began to drizzle down and whatever smoke in the air seemed to be fading, no longer burning his lungs. Rain had never been a good sign and those dark storm clouds told him that something sinister was going to happen soon.

"You are certain she is going to go after Bakugou, aren't you?"

Hibiki nodded and regarded the sleeping girl in his back. _Hey Hibiki-ojisan, what does family mean? Even though I don't live with someone, can I call them family?_ The little girl's quiet but curious tone flooded his ear and his body trembled slightly. The ground churned as the flames from ahead of them began to fade away.

"Katsuki is her cousin," he observed. The brown-haired man channeled more chakra to his hands and closed his eyes. "Naruto will do anything for her friends but give her a family member and her drive will be more intense. She will break the law and disobey any order if she knows Bakugou is another target."

Aizawa groaned and looked up at the sky.

"This girl is really troublesome."

Hibiki blinked and blinked before roaring in laughter at the signature word used by one of the clans of Konoha. Aizawa blinked and raised an eyebrow, not one bit amused by the laughter and Hibiki coughed before standing up straight.

"You sound just like a member of the Nara clan."

It would be nice if he had a member of that clan with him.

* * *

"_W-What happened to Naruto?"_

The students dashed straight towards him, eyes frantic at the sight of the unconscious and scratched girl in Aizawa's arms. The black-haired hero grunted and jerked his head at the students, hinting for them to move away from him. The students quickly shuffled away from him. Taking a deep breath, the Underground Hero walked towards the back of the room and placed the unconscious girl on the ground.

Aizawa watched as the girls from Class A alongside Kendo and Tokage rushing to the girl's side. He made no comment when Yaoyorozu began making bandages and creams to help speed-up the girl's recovery. The black-haired man shook his head and stared at the remaining students, their eyes eager to know what happened to Uzumaki.

"Uzumaki is mostly suffering from exhaustion," he informed them, leaning against the wall and rubbing the sides of his ringing head. Several shoulders relaxed at the comment and the tense atmosphere immediately changed to a relaxed one. He poked his tongue against his cheek and then pressed his lips into a thin line when the girls held down the tossing girl.

He watched Ojiro, who frowned and quickly shuffled his way to the girls. The blond-haired boy held the girl down, allowing Yaoyorozu and Kendou to change the badly made bandage that Naruto had made for herself. Judging from their furrowed eyebrows, Aizawa figured out the wound in her stomach was already healed.

"So she defeated them?" Midoriya asked, flickering his eyes to the whiskered teen. Awe and relief coated his tone alongside confusion and dark green eyebrows furrowed together. Kirishima and Kaminari exchanged glances before looking at the sleeping girl on the ground. The other students only tensed up, hands fiddling together as they waited for him to reply to the question.

He lowered his head and flickered his eyes to the exhausted the girl as the scene of the battlefield flashed before him. That dome was probably made in the same way she created those chains. The ground had been upturned from the battle, almost reminding him of a huge-scale villain attack. How strong were shinobi? What was the Public Safety Commission going to do with this piece of information?

What was the Principal going to say when he found out that they had someone tailing them the whole time? Oh and the Media was going to take advantage of this scenario.

"She trapped the shinobi," Aizawa finally answered. Sighs of relief echoed in the room and the students fixated their eyes on the bandaged up whiskered teen. He saw Yaoyorozu frowning, looking deeply troubled and Monoma looking at the whiskered girl like she was his savior. That was definitely different from the scene this morning.

Midoriya frowned and rubbed his chin, eyebrows furrowed together into a thin line. Conflict shone through those green eyes as a couple of the students whispered to each other about Uzumaki saving them from some powerful people. He grunted and flickered his eyes to Vlad King. The man frowned and flickered his eyes to the windows.

"That shinobi must have been a really difficult opponent," Midoriya observed. Aizawa grunted and nodded while a couple of the students swirled their heads at the green-haired boy, heads tilted to the side at that comment. "Uzumaki never seems to get _this _exhausted after a battle. She always bounced back up."

Aizawa nodded and flickered his eyes to the girl, who now began to whimper. Yaoyorozu nibbled her bottom lip while Kendou ran her hand through the girl's uneven hair. Asui frowned and twisted her head around to look at the heroes, almost looking hopeless at what to do with a girl who definitely sound like she was having a nightmare.

He could feel someone tugging on his sleeves and Aizawa twisted his head around, eyebrows shooting upwards at the sight of worried black eyes. Kouta kept flickering his eyes from the unconscious girl to him, lips wobbling like he wanted to cry and the black-haired man knelt down till they were at eye level.

"Is she going to be okay?" Kouta whispered. The 5-year-old boy tried to keep his voice steady but there was a slight hitch to his tone that spoke volumes about his worry for the girl that went out to defeat the shinobi. Aizawa inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down his raging heart as his mind tried to come up with the best answer for him.

He allowed a little smile to quirk up and fixated his eyes at the blond-haired girl who now tugged at Ojiro, bringing him into a tightly wounded hug. The girls giggled and tried to pull the red-faced Ojiro away from the girl.

"Uzumaki might not look like it but she is probably one of the most resilient people that you can meet."

Kouta sighed in relief and relaxed his shoulders before taking a seat back to Midoriya. Aizawa raised a single eyebrow when his eyes caught sight of the badly bruised arm of Midoriya. The green-haired boy avoided looking him in the eye, only dropping his non-injured hand on top of the little boy's head. A frown played on his _other_ impulsive student.

The green-haired boy twisted his whole body around, eyes locked on the sleeping girl. Aizawa saw the tenseness in his student's shoulders alongside the clenched jaws.

"Are you going to go after Kacchan and Todoroki-kun?" Izuku asked after a couple of minutes. The trembles in his shoulders stopped and then the boy turned around to look at him with fiery green eyes. The air around them grew heavy with that question and the other students locked eyes with him. "They are still out there."

Aizawa felt his stomach churned with concern and worry. He grinded his teeth together and placed his hand around his white scarf, fumbling it. Those two would have been warned of the Villains but knowing them, they probably thought to help Uzumaki. He pinched his nose and then flickered his eyes back at the squirming blond-haired girl.

It would be better for him to go after them but if Uzumaki woke up then he would have to be the one to stop her from engaging battle with the Villains.

"I have to stay here to stop Uzumaki from going after the Villains," Aizawa informed Midoriya. The boy slumped his shoulders but did not look too surprised by his words. Kendo, Yaoyorozu and Tokage exchanged glances before looking back at the sleeping girl. "Hibiki-san has recovered and he is going after Bakugou and Todoroki. There are still other villains who will—"

The door sliced in half to reveal a large green-skinned Nomu that had six arms sticking out from his back. Screams of terror pierced through the air as the beast waved its arm. Mandalay ducked while Tora charged straight at it, arms reaching out to hold the Nomu back. The man jumped away when the chainsaw buzzed next to him.

The table split in half.

The wind whirled and rustled as the students hurdled together. Aizawa removed his scarf and swung it at the Nomu. The chainsaw buzzed and howled but didn't break through the scarf. He twisted it around, huffing as the Nomu moved and pulled, trying to pull him away. He skiddled his feet and clenched his jaws together as Tora aimed a good punch in the stomach.

The Nomu faltered but did not tumbled down to the ground.

Instead another arm came out with a chainsaw and the artificial human waved its arm, trying to shatter through the cloth. The chains in the chainsaw screamed and exploded against the scarf. Aizawa clenched his jaws together and frowned at the sight of Yaoyorozu and Tokage whispering to each other before flickering their eyes at the Nomu.

Glass shattered and the cloth tumbled down the ground as the Nomu dashed straight towards him. Aizawa clenched his jaws together, ready to dodge and frowned when the artificial human turned to Mandalay. The artificial human smashed its arm against the woman, sending her flying towards the wall. A groan erupted from the woman and the Nomu raised its arm, ready to slice the woman as it grunted —

It crashed down to the ground.

Silence filled the whole room as they stared at the unconscious artificial human. On the back of the beast was an empty syringe and a hand pumped up with action at what just happened. _I'm guessing Yaoyorozu and Tokage decided to take matters into their own hands._ Mandalay slumped her shoulders, body falling down to the ground and then Kouta rushed straight to the hero.

Aizawa fixated his eyes at the smiling Tokage before flickering his eyes to Yaoyorozu, who hunched her shoulders up to her ears. The students eyed him, bodies ready to defend the actions of the two girls and the man shook his head at the two teens.

"We will all pretend that I gave permission for the action."

Everyone nodded.

* * *

_Something was wrong._

Chills ran down Shouto's spine as he dimly realized that he couldn't hear Bakugou's constant quiet grumbles. There was no screams for him to hurry up, no sound of the soil being crunched on or any sound of that sort. The mismatch boy licked his lips and stopped in his steps. He could feel his whole body trembling as a deep-set realization came on him.

Taking in a deep breath, he twisted his whole body around and felt his heart dropped at the lack of blond-hair standing behind him. Could they have…but they had been so careful. He exhaled and inhaled for a couple of minutes, heart pounding wildly against his chest. He darted his eyes to the sides and then to the front before looking back.

"Bakugou?"

The wind rustled and caressed his cheeks but no answer could be heard. Shouto felt his whole body trembling at the realization that he really did screw up with Bakugou. The boy would bark at him to hurry up even though they had been running as fast as he could possibly run. It should have been his clue that something was not right.

He thought they had been clever to avoid the clear paths, taking the path hidden in the trees but they must have been spotted somehow. Shouto gulped and clenched his hands into a tightly wounded fist as the forest stood still, almost completely devoid of life. He clenched his jaws together and then froze at the little laugh echoing from the trees.

"Oh? Are you wondering where your friend is?" A smooth, deep voice called out. The tree branch shook and leaves fell off and Shouto lifted his head up to find the source of the voice. His mismatch eyes widened at the sight of a masked man. Even though he wore a mask, he could practically hear the smile on the Villain's face. "I used my magic to take him but it is unfortunate that the girl isn't easy to capture but your other friend will do."

_Naruto is safe._ Shouto felt his legs trembled with relief as the rain continued to drizzle down on them. He swallowed down the trunk worth of emotions that threatened to come out. His heart pounded against his chest, frantic with relief for the knowledge parted to him and anger for what just happened to him and Bakugou.

He was not going to let them win.

Shouto clenched his jaws together and decreased the temperature of his right side. Glaciers of ice spiked up, swimming straight towards the Villain. He heard the villain sighing with disappointment and watched as the villain smashed his cane to the side before disappearing for a second behind one of the larger glaciers and then reappearing with a hand in his pocket.

"You took him while we were running to get Naruto," Shouto observed, forcing himself to hold back the anger from leaking into his tone. He clenched his jaws together as the villain looked down from the sky, fingers playing with a single marble. "Why the hell are you after them?"

The ice surged again, getting larger and larger as it tried to break the man's hold on that marble. He felt the coldness creeping up in his right side and the deepest desire to shudder washed over him. The villain adjusted his hat and tilted his head, almost like he was either deeply contemplating on how to answer him or to mock him.

"Society ridiculed them and treat them like dirt," the villain replied, playing with the marble and leapt away from the glaciers of ice rushing towards him. The wind howled and the man adjusted his hat again before looking down at him with mocking eyes. "They rejected them and the both of them are natural-born killers, especially the girl. The girl was made to be a weapon but we plan to give her a chance to reject the role given to her."

The ice pierced through the tree, digging its way into the tree bark but the villain still dodged the attack. Shouto clenched his jaws together, eyebrows twitching with rage and slammed his feet on the ground. Walls of ice rushed towards the Villain, trying to enclose him but the villain simply disappeared like a ghost in the wind before reappearing behind the walls.

The Villain let out a cold laugh and Shouto glared at the man. He knew why the man would make such claims but they were fools to think either Bakugou or Naruto would agree to do this. The wind whistled and more ice gushed towards the man, trying to stop him but the man only laughed before jumping again.

"I touch a very sensitive topic, didn't I? You don't want to acknowledge that the girl was born to be a weapon," The villain commented, almost trying to sound apologetic but sound more like he was trying to mock him. The mismatch-haired boy charged forward, smashing both right hand and leg on the ground and the ice staggered together before forming a large glacier that loomed over the trees.

"Bastard!" He snarled. "Naruto wasn't born to be a weapon!"

The Villain chuckled and twisted himself in the air, barely gazing against the sharp edges of the glaciers. His feet touched the glacier before jumping towards one of the trees that was not pierced or coated with ice. Shouto dashed forward and the man leapt further away. He watched as the man touched the sides of his mask.

"Such a _sensitive little boy_," The Villain mocked as his hand pressed the side of his mask. "Vanguard Action Squad! Target two has been successfully collected but I believe Target One is too risky for us to capture for now while Target Three is too heavily guarded. But I believe Bakugou Katsuki will be enough to calm down Shigaraki. I will meet all of you in five minutes at our designated meeting place!"

"Like hell I will let you do that!" He snarled as ice decorated the floor and rose up before coursing its way to the Villain. The Villain blinked before dashing away from him. Shouto raced towards him. He could feel the blood pounding against his ears and trees seemed to be blurring together as he raced to get the man. He jumped, ducked and at one point even climbed over the large roots of the tree as the Villain continued to leap away like a _damn_ frog.

His feet skidded and he stumbled slightly, giving enough time for the distance between them to increase. Shouto felt his lungs burned, longing for air but the boy pushed himself to run faster. He had to get to him. Bakugou couldn't get captured. He was definitely not going to let it happen.

It was his responsibility to make sure that Bakugou didn't get—

A tree root appeared and Shouto crashed down to the ground, jaws clenched together. He pushed himself up, ready to charge forward as the Villain twisted his heard around to give a _cruel, mocking_ laugh at him. Dirt clung to his pants and Shouto resumed running, body heaving as the distance between them growing exponentially.

"Todoroki!" A panic voice called out to him. Shouto blinked and jerked his head up, mismatch eyes widening at the sight of the frantic brown eyes of Hibiki. He caught sight of the bruises decorating the man alongside a couple of deep scratches on his faces. "Where is Bakugou? And why didn't the two of you go back when Naruto told you—"

"Bakugou is over there!" Shouto interrupted, jerking his finger at the Villain. He could see the confusion shinning through Hibiki's eyes but the man made no comment. Instead he watched as the man darted his eyes from him to the Villain. Hardness decorated him and to his surprise, Hibiki vanished in thin air before appearing a couple of meters ahead of him.

The man was running in a speed that could probably be greater than his own father and Shouto couldn't help but gawk in awe at the increasing speed that the man was running to catch up to the villain. The man looked almost feral with the anger in those brown eyes alongside the way his teeth was bared like a growling dog.

No, like furious monkey.

"Todoroki, you head back to the lodge!" Hibiki ordered. There was nothing in his tone that left any arguments about him coming along and Shouto stopped in his steps and watched as the man pulled out a tanto. "I'm going to catch up to them and bring back Bakugou. Right now, the best thing for you to do is head back before they try to kill you."

Shouto slumped his shoulders and kept completely silent as his mismatch eyes locked onto the fading figures that belonged to Hibiki and the Villain.

_(It will be a few minutes later that Hibiki comes back with a marble and that marble turned out to be ice)._

* * *

**A/N: So this concludes the end of the Summer Training Camp. Here are a couple of questions to consider:**

**Question 1:** How is Jiraiya is going to react when he finds out about what happened between Naruto and Kabuto as well as Hibiki messing up with Bakugou?

**Question 2**: How do you think Yuuei is going to react at the knowledge that Naruto is a shinobi and the connection between Naruto and Bakugou.

**Question 3:** How much do you think Naruto's relationship with her classmates will change?

**Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and what you think of the series so far.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the original characters.

**Author Note: **I know I have stated that this would be a longer book but I decided to go into the aftermath of what happens in the next book, so this is the last chapter for Divulgence**. **

_~X~_

_It was only a dream!_

Naruto jerked her whole body up from the grass and released a shaky breath as she scanned the area. There were so many ambulance vehicles and fire trucks surrounding the area, telling her that the battle with the Villains were over. _I should be happy but something doesn't feel right._ There seemed to be a heavy atmosphere looming over them, almost like someone just told them that their favourite dog was dead.

Did something happen during the time she slept?

The heavy, dark expressions on everyone's faces told her that this was the case. _I guess no one wants to tell me what happened because of the secret I kept._ She exhaled and knitted her eyebrows together, only to blink when Ashido hugged her and the girls of Class A alongside Kendo and Tokage hovered around her. Her whole body stiffened and the blonde awkwardly patted the girl's back.

_Aren't they upset I have been keeping things from them?_ Her heart pounded heavily against her chest and Naruto looked around to find Shouto. A frown played on her lips when the mismatch boy looked at her for a second before looking away from her._ Why does he look so guilty?_ The lines on her forehead deepened and the girl fixated her eyes on the other girls.

Some of them sobbed while a few of them looked like they didn't know how to look at her. _I expected there would be some changes now that they know I sensed the shinobi coming._ It was something she should expect when her clones babbled the truth to them. A truth that they rightfully deserved to know with how the shinobi targeted them.

It made sense but her gut told her that was not the reason they couldn't meet her eyes.

Curling her lips into a frown, Naruto darted her eyes around the forest and paused at the sight of Izuku. The older teen had almost a faded look on his face, reminding her of someone but the whiskered teen couldn't put her finger to it. _Where have I seen that look before? I know I have seen it before._ She furrowed her eyebrows together. A memory from a couple of months ago came to her mind.

"_Just let me know that you are listening to me!"_

There was only one person she could think of that could make Izuku become like this. Her throat began to dry up and the dots began to connect in her mind of what could have possibly happened during the time she passed out. She could feel all of the blood inside of her being drained as she tried to spit out the question that loomed over her mind.

"What happened to Bakugou?"

The girls took a step back and exchanged glances before looking back at her. Their eyes screamed of uncertainity and grief like they did not know how to tell her of what happened to her half-cousin. _Please don't tell me that he is dead._ She could feel her whole body shaking at the thought of the older boy being dead.

"The Villains kidnapped him," Tokage replied. Naruto blinked and felt a sense of numbness flooding her at the knowledge. _Kidnapped_. That single word brought a sense of relief and dread to her. Relief at the knowledge that Explosive Head was _alive_ but dread at the knowledge that she did not know how long he would be alive.

She felt a pair of hands hugging her and the blonde looked up to see Yaoyorozu hugging her. _Offering comfort._ It was odd for the girl to comfort her when it was her fault her cousin got kidnapped. If she did not sleep. If she had done a better job in conserving her chakra then her cousin would be here. She could have gone after him.

More and more hands wrapped around her but Naruto was not going to allow herself to break down now. _I won't let myself fall apart again._ The words repeated in her mind like a chant as her eyes locked onto Hibiki. The ANBU guard had his hands clenched into a fist, dark brown eyes radiating with rage and the whiskered teen gently pushed the girls away from her.

"How?"

The single word loomed over them like a dark cloud but none of the girls answered her. Their eyes only flickered to Hibiki and Naruto stared at the Third Hokage's oldest son. The irrational part of her wanted to blame him…but it would make her no better than a 12-year-old. The rational part of her knew the man would have done his best to capture Bakugou.

He was ANBU for a reason and the knowledge he failed probably hurt him more then any spiteful words that could come out of her mouth.

"One of the Villains have a Kekkei Genkei that can shrink down anything into a marble," Hibiki answered. Brown eyes radiated with irritation and the growl in his tone made Naruto take a step back while everyone gulped at the anger. "I pulled that marble out of his pocket before that weird dark cloud thing appeared. A couple of minutes later, it turned out the bastard substituted the marble."

Naruto kept silent and allowed herself to process the information. _He tricked Hibiki-ojisan._ She curled and uncurled her fingers. Tricking Hibiki was rather difficult to do if you asked her. Nothing ever escaped his attention as Konohamaru would complain about how the man figured out about his attempted pranks.

Would things have been different if she went there? Yeah. There was a possibility she could have seen through the trick because tricks were her thing. _But there is also a chance I wouldn't know because I've no idea of what his Quirk is._ Naruto shut her eyes and took in a deep breath as more and more possible scenarios came to her mind.

She exhaled and cradled her legs against her chest, blue eyes fading slightly. What was the point of training so hard with Jiraiya if she couldn't even protect her precious people? One fight with Kabuto and she got drained from not giving into the cruel words coming out of him. God, Sakura might be right.

Maybe she was useless.

Tears burned through her eyes and the intense desire to wail came over her but Naruto bit her tongue. The pain would keep her in check. It would stop her from spiralling down that dark and lonely path again. She needed to think reasonably right now. _He isn't dead and we can get him._ She clenched her jaws together and flickered her eyes in the direction of the faded chakra signature that could only belong to Kabuto.

Naruto took a deep breath and stood up before channelling the chakra to her legs, ready to charge in the direction of that _slimmy, little snake._ If anyone would know where Bakugou would be taken then it would be Kabuto. He worked with them. The bastard had been in their hideout or at the very least knew where it would be.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you will stay here!" The sharp words stopped her in her tracks as a large hand pulled her back. Naruto clenched her jaws together and glared at Hibiki. Brown eyes radiated with irritation while everyone in the area became deathly silent as the order rung through the air. "You will leave Kabuto to Jirayia. This is an order Naruto."

Naruto clenched her jaws together and glared at him. "Fuck orders! They kidnapped my cousin and the only one that knows where he is, is that little snake!"

Hibiki thinned his lips and tightened his grip on her arms as brown eyes bored into her. She knew from his eyes that he was not happy with the words coming out of her mouth. He inhaled and exhaled like he was trying to control his temper but Naruto knew from the flare of his nostrils that it would be a matter of seconds before he explode.

"You opened that dome and Kabuto will escape and any information on where Bakugou might be is gone," Hibiki warned her. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him that she could stop him but brown eyes stilted at her, almost resembling a furious cat. He pinched his nose and exhaled again. "In your current emotional state, you are in no position to handle him."

Naruto clenched her jaws together and looked down at her balled fist. _He is right._ At her current emotional level, it would be easy for him to rile her up. One wrong move and that bastard would escape from them. If the bastard escaped then it would make it harder for either of them to find her cousin.

But she could make it easier for everyone.

"I can seal away his chakra," Naruto declared. _It will be easy for me to catch him._ She was still pretty fast and grabbing him was not that difficult. As long as she kept her mind and emotions in check then it would be difficult for Kabuto to run away from them. _But maybe I'm all over my head._ It had been luck and cockiness that allowed her to win.

Was she really going to risk the chance of Kabuto escaping because of her desire to bring back Bakugou? _If I do that then I haven't learnt a damn thing after what happened with Sasuke._ It would be arrogant of her to believe she could do it. _If you continue on this path then that would make you really arrogant and egoistical, doesn't it?_ There was no way she could be of any help with her state of emotions.

"You will leave the job to the Police and Heroes," Hibiki informed her. Naruto bit her tongue and the brown-haired man focused on the ambulance before looking back at her. "Right now, you need to worry more about the questioning you, Jiraiya and me will face after we are done with getting a quick check up in the hospital."

_The three of us are being question? _The blonde furrowed her eyebrows together and looked at the brown-haired man. Brown eyes showed no emotion and did not look at her like he wanted to blame her for the situation that she could have put them in. His eyes only looked exhausted. _He did go after Bakugou and fight a shinobi._ She reminded herself as Hibiki looked at her with exhaustion.

"Are they going to question us about being shinobi?" She asked. It was better for her to ask the man instead of letting herself jump to conclusion again. It was in her nature to jump to conclusion so it was a good idea for her to ask before thinking that it was all about her. _Maybe they want to question us on something else._ They might ask them about what happened between them.

"We did tell and admit that we were shinobi," Hibiki said. He grimaced and stared at the cliff for the longest time while the whiskered teen groaned at the reminder. She didn't need to turn around to know the girls were observing the both of them. "There are questions that only we can answer, Naruto. None of us can save Bakugou until we clear up the situation with the Police and Heroes."

She prayed to God that everything would be clear up soon.

~X~

"_With the exclusion of Bakugou, everyone is safe but we are going to have a problem locating him."_

Aizawa could only grimace and rubbed the sides of his head as Nedzu, All Might and Tsukauchi stared at him. It had been a couple of hours since everyone was brought to the nearest hospital. Almost everyone lacked injuries. The only two people who were injured during the scuffle were Midoriya and Hibiki. Uzumaki might have gotten into a battle but her injuries were light.

Nedzu pressed his lips into a thin line and took a seat on the chair. The mouse did not look at him anymore, only reading through the file that he presumed contain the statements made by the students. It was either that or the file that they had on his most mysterious and now most mentally-damaged student he ever had.

"We can only begin trying to locate Bakugou when Jiraiya comes in," Aizawa finally commented. He smoothed his messy hair and grimaced. The dome Uzumaki made kept the criminal in place and he would have requested the girl to release the dome if Hibiki had not mentioned that the girl might not be quick enough to stop the criminal. No one wanted to risk that. "I'm certain he is the only one who can give us a hint."

Nedzu grimaced but made no comment about the decision of waiting for Naruto's supposed guardian to release and contain the criminal. All Might frowned and looked ready to question him on their decision. Time was of the essence but the criminal the girl kept contained was not someone they could easily handle.

From what he understood from Hibiki, the man murdered his subordinates and if they were as young as 12 then there was no telling of what that monster would do to them.

"I read from the written statements of the students that Uzumaki informed everyone about the attack and that she claimed to be a shinobi," Nedzu commented. Only curiosity and surprise lit his tone while Ken, All Might and Tsukauchi frowned, looking all too surprised at the knowledge. It was difficult not to blame them. Shinobis were things of the past.

Japan stopped having shinobis over a thousand years ago and now there were people who had these _powerful_ abilities who claimed to be them. It was rather _terrifying_ to think about. He might not have seen the match between his student and the criminal but the whole scene looked like a scene from an action movie. The ground was turned up. Crumbled grounds that had been marked by his student's fist.

It made what happened during her exam like a joke.

"I also heard from one of the students that the man currently being treated for his injuries trailed after our students without any of us noticing it," Nedzu continued on. All Might blinked. His blue eyes widened like he did not know what to think of how not one of them could have noticed it. It was simple if you asked him.

There had been no suspicious behaviour during the time they had been travelling through the forest. No shadows or any indication they had been followed. Did it show negliance on their part? If the Press found out about it then they would twist everything around to make them look like the bad guys. They wouldn't care that the man was like a shadow.

"I find it difficult to believe that Uzumaki and that man can be a—"

"—It is true and I can believe it," Aizawa commented quietly. Several eyes widened as the black-haired man rubbed the sides of his head. _If I think about Uzumaki's actions when it comes to Eri-chan then it make sense._ He exhaled and locked eyes with everyone. "The day Uzumaki went after those child abusers, Todoroki told me that the girl scrubbed her hands. She believed killing was the best option at the time because that was what she was probably taught back at her home."

_But I believe that was the first time she ever killed someone._ The behaviour she had when she came back home indicated that this was the case. A part of him believed the girl killed because she wished someone killed the person who abused her but what if it was deeper than that? The girl was a child soldier and probably had been brain wash to think killing was always the right answer.

"We are rather fortunate that the person Uzumaki chose to kill was someone that the Police had been trying to lock away for life, but I'm more curious to know how old would she have to be to become a shinobi?" Nedzu mused. His black eyes flashed with interest and flickered to the corridor that would lead to the room that Naruto and Hibiki were currently sleeping in.

The mouse flipped open the file and held it up for everyone to see. Information on the girl's birthplace and primary school was left mysterious vague while the part of her middle school was filled with so much detail. _We should have done a better job in investigating things._ He grunted. It was not like they had a problem with the girl being a shinobi but it would have been nice for them to know and prepare for the future.

They would find out why Uzumaki kept it a secret but for now he needed to answer Nedzu's question.

"Hibiki informed us that she was only 12," he replied. All Might turned green, almost looking sick to his stomach, while Tsukauchi scribbled it down in his notepad. No doubt it would be useful piece of information for when it came time to interrogate them. "Apparently it is normal for them to have children as young as five become shinobi."

The notepad crashed down to the ground and both All Might and Tsukauchi looked at him with eyes filled with horror. Aizawa only grunted and clenched his jaws together. At the age of five, children were innocent. They played together, had innocent little dreams and were just filled with pure naivety. Their brains were in no shape or form developed enough to handle such stress.

At five years old, they shouldn't be taught how to kill someone. 

"They make their children grow up way too fast," Tsukauchi observed. Aizawa nodded and rubbed the sides of his head. They did not have the right to make a comment about their culture or way of living but if those people were willing to do this to the children, then they had to invest in their mental health. "But if Uzumaki has been a shinobi since she was 12 then what brought her here? Was she here to spy on the Japanese Government for the long haul?"

The black-haired man thinned his lips and walked over to the vending machine. Pulling out a couple of coins from his pocket, he slid them into the machine and pressed on the coffee machine. That was a good question to consider but from his conversation with Jiraiya, it was not that simple of a case.

"_She refused to travel with me."_

He picked up the coffee and allowed the bitter taste to enveloped his senses. There was sincere honesty in Jiraiya's face when he admitted Uzumaki didn't live with him because she refused to go with him. It could be a lie, a ruse to throw him off his guard but nothing about his interaction with the girl and man indicated they were trying to wrestle information out of him.

Uzumaki had been troubled at trying to figure out which hero to go to.

"If Uzumaki was sent to spy on the government then she wouldn't bother herself with enrolling into our school," he observed. All Might relaxed his shoulders while Nedzu hummed at the observation, not looking one bit taken back by his conclusion. The mouse must have came to the same conclusion. "I believe that there is another reason."

Tsukauchi paused and stared at him for a good couple of minutes before reluctantly nodding his head. Aizawa took another sip of the coffee and darted his eyes to the corridor. _What if she lost someone important in her life?_ Some of the actions Naruto chose to do like overworking herself and forgoing sleep were things that he used to do or so Present Mic would remind him.

_She might smile like Shirakumo but she acts like you during our last year in Yuuei._

"What could be another reason?" All Might mused.

Aizawa regarded them all and carefully considered whether to tell them about the chance of Uzumaki losing a friend right in front of her. It sounded plausible. Grief was an interesting thing if you asked him. Sorrow could make a person push the people out of their life and guilt could make them want to do things to prove that they needed to atone for their actions.

He tapped his finger against the can and regarded Nedzu. The mouse showed no emotion but the way his eyes flickered from him to the corridor leading to Naruto told him that he came to the same conclusion. _If she has no family over in Konoha and very little friends then it would make her more of a risk for more darker thoughts._ His fingers traced his wrist and he grimaced.

"I believe Eraserhead would be the best to get the answer from Uzumaki when it comes to interrogating her," Nedzu commented. Aizawa only kept quiet, understanding why he would single him over All Might. "But the bigger question for now is why was that man following only Bakugou? I heard from the students that Uzumaki claimed he was only here because of Bakugou."

The words loomed over them like a dark cloud, reminding them again and again that there had been someone watching them. Aizawa exhaled while Ken rubbed his jaw like he was trying to figure out the connection. Nothing made sense. If the man came from the same place as Uzumaki then the girl would be a bigger priority or he would have been more interested in the other students.

_Jiraiya assigned me the task of making sure Katsuki doesn't get kidnapped or killed._

"He was assigned to protect Bakugou by Jiraiya," Aizawa informed them. Everyone blinked as the man twisted his drink around. More memories came to his mind and a frown played on his lips. "I believe it has to do with Uzumaki's father. From what her clone told me, her father made a lot of enemies."

"If that was the case then only Uzumaki would be protected," All Might pointed out, frowning. "Why would young Uzumaki's Guardian wish for young Bakugou to be protected?"

_Y'know you shouldn't treat your cousin like that._

"Because they are cousins," Aizawa informed them. Blue eyes widened and the man froze like those words were the last words he ever expected to hear from him while Ken and Nedzu blinked at this piece of information. _Cousins._ It was rather odd to acknowledge those two were cousins when there had been no indication about their relationship. The only clue would have been their appearance. "But I believe it is new to them."

Nedzu tilted his head. "But Bakugou Katsuki's parents were born here and nothing about him indicates that he is like Uzumaki."

_So what makes the two of them different?_ The question was left in the air as they tried to figure out a piece of the puzzle that could connect the both of them and make sense. If Bakugou was like Uzumaki then he wouldn't stop to inform people. He would have had an easier time winning against the girl during the Sports Festival.

Other than their similar appearance, what could be—

"Her father was that _missing boy_," All Might choked. Aizawa swirled his head around as blue eyes glowed with rage. _What missing boy?_ The question was on the tip of his tongue but the way Nedzu shook his head told him that was not the case. The bulky man began to pace back and forth as his eyes locked onto them. "We spent months trying to find him, only for it to become a cold case. That little girl was born from my—"

"No one knows about the people over there," he informed him. All Might trembled and clenched his hands into a fist while everyone regarded him with considerate eyes. "How could you have figure out her father was that missing boy? I doubt Uzumaki knows about her own father's past except for the way he died. The man went down a hero from what she told me, protecting their home from a terrible Villain."

All Might shut his eyes.

"The fact her father was a missing Japanese National and she is a child born from the result of incompetence on heroes will make it more difficult for us when it comes to the Press Release," Nedzu observed. The blond-haired man grimaced while the others rubbed their chin at the knowledge. "They could either turn this around and point out how the hero system failed a child and how that failed product came to be Uzumaki or they could see some good."

Aizawa grunted.

"The Press always wants to drag us through the mud," The black-haired man pointed out with a scowl playing on his lips. "We need all the information that Jiraiya, Hibiki and Uzumaki are willing to give us or else the whole hero society are going to be facing years and years worth of bad press."

Nedzu sighed.

"We better hope that those three are willing to give the answers that we need to calm down the Public."

**A/N: Please review and tell me of your thoughts on the last chapter of Divulgence and how you feel about the series in general. The next installation of the series may come in the next couple of days or weeks. I will post an update in the Guardian Chronicles for when it is released. For everyone that read this series and it's rewrite, thank you for your patience.**


	40. Author Note

Hello Everyone,

This is not a new chapter but an announcement for all those who did not know or have been alerted but I am pleased to announce the Fourth Book: Reconstruction. The first chapter is out and it will pick up on where I have left off. For everyone who has read the books, I want to thank you again for reading the book.

STLHero.


End file.
